The Minister of Aviation and Aerospace Development, Festus Keyamo, said an aircraft belonging to the Nigerian Air Force(NAF) that crashed on Monday in Igbokoda, Ilaje Local Government area of Ondo State, has 25 passengers and seven crew members on board.
Keyamo explained that the aircraft, with tail number NGR 931, disappeared after air traffic controllers lost contact with it at about 9:13a.m.
The minister said the aircraft was en route to Lagos from Benin when all efforts to raise it on radio proved unsuccessful.
He said subsequent information confirmed that the aircraft had crashed close to the Naval Base in Igbokoda and that the wreckage had been located.
The minister said: “Preliminary information suggests that there were 25 passengers and seven crew members on board.”
Keyamo did not provide further details on the condition or identities of those on board, as search and rescue operations were still ongoing.
He noted that the control and regulation of military aircraft were outside the authority of the Ministry of Aviation and Aerospace Development and the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority.
The minister said he had spoken with the Chief of Air Staff, Air Marshal Sunday Kelvin Aneke, on the incident.
He pledged the ministry’s full cooperation and assistance in the ongoing search and rescue efforts.
“Further information on this unfortunate incident will be made available subsequently,” the minister said.
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