No survivor has been recovered from the military aircraft that crashed in Igbokoda, Ilaje Local Government Area of Ondo State, as rescue teams continue efforts to reach the main wreckage.
Ondo State Governor, Lucky Aiyedatiwa, said parts of the aircraft, including sections of its wings, identity cards and military uniforms, had been found at the crash site.
The governor disclosed this during an interview on Politics Today, a Channels Television programme.
According to Aiyedatiwa, the aircraft was carrying 32 people, comprising 25 passengers and seven crew members, and was on a surveillance mission from Benin to Lagos when it lost radio contact at about 9:15 a.m.
He said residents near the Naval Forward Operating Base in Igbokoda reported hearing a loud sound before the aircraft went down in a swamp.
“They saw the wreckage from the wings, some ID cards and uniforms indicating it was a military aircraft.”
Aiyedatiwa explained that the main body of the aircraft remained deep inside the swamp, making access difficult for the rescue teams.
He said naval personnel, emergency officials, Amotekun operatives and local residents immediately moved into the creek using boats but had yet to find anyone alive.
The crash site has since been secured, while hospitals in Igbokoda and Okitipupa have been placed on standby with ambulances available to support the emergency response.
The Nigerian Air Force and the Nigerian Safety Investigation Bureau are investigating the incident. Authorities are expected to recover the aircraft’s black box to help establish what caused the crash.
Tinubu Declares Three Days of Mourning
President Bola Tinubu has declared a three-day national mourning period for the Air Force personnel involved in the crash.
He also directed that the national flag be flown at half-mast across the country in honour of the personnel who lost their lives.
Tinubu described the incident as a painful moment for the Armed Forces and the nation, noting that military personnel routinely risk their lives in the service of Nigeria.
“Their sacrifice will never be forgotten,” the President said.
The President directed the Nigerian Air Force to begin a thorough investigation into the accident, with the aim of determining its cause and preventing similar incidents in the future.
The Air Force is expected to release the names of the personnel involved after their families have been contacted.
Security Operation in Ondo Forest
Speaking separately on security operations in Ondo State, Aiyedatiwa said security forces recently eliminated Abdussamad Ohida, described as a senior ISWAP coordinator operating in the state’s forests.
He said the operation followed months of intelligence gathering and surveillance and involved the Department of State Services, Nigerian Army, British intelligence officers and Amotekun.
According to the governor, the operation was carefully planned after an earlier attack by the group forced security forces to withdraw and strengthen their intelligence and operational capabilities.
He said the criminals were armed with sophisticated weapons, including general-purpose machine guns, making careful planning necessary before the operation was relaunched.
The governor said the successful operation was carried out without casualties among the security forces.
