Twenty-five passengers and seven crew members were on board the military aircraft that crashed near the Naval Base in Igbokoda, Ondo State, the Minister of Aviation and Aerospace Development, Festus Keyamo, has said.
The aircraft, operated by the Nigerian Air Force (NAF), was reportedly travelling from Benin City, Edo State, to Lagos when it went missing on Monday.
Keyamo said air traffic controllers alerted him after attempts to establish contact with the aircraft by radio failed. The wreckage was later located close to the naval base in Igbokoda, with search and rescue operations subsequently launched.
The minister said although military aviation operations fall outside the jurisdiction of the Ministry of Aviation and the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority, he had spoken with the Chief of Air Staff, Air Marshal Sunday Kelvin Aneke, and assured him of the ministry’s cooperation in the rescue efforts.
He added that more details would be released as they become available.
The crash reportedly caused panic among residents of the coastal community. The aircraft was used for intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance (ISR), as well as air maritime operations.