Tinubu declare three-day mourning for victims of Nigeria military aircraft crash

Nigeria President Bola Tinubu don declare three days of national mourning afta military aircraft crash for southern Ondo State, wey kill 32 pipo. E also express im sadness ova di incident.

Authorities say di plane bin dey on routine mission from Benin City to Lagos wen e crash near di naval base on Monday morning.

Oga Tinubu offer im deepest condolences to di 25 passengers and seven crew members wey dey board di plane as im order full investigation.

According to statement by Bayo Onanuga wey be presidential tok-tok pesin, Presido Tinubu describe di plane crash as veri painful and pray for di victims as well as dia families.

President Tinubu also give order make national flags fly at half-mast across di kontri as mark of respect for di pipo wey die.

"Dis na is painful moment for our Armed Forces and for di entire nation," Tinubu tok.

"Our Air Force personnel put dia lives on di line evri day to secure Nigeria. We no go forget dia sacrifice" im add.

'Aircraft dey under water' - Ondo search and rescue team

Di Ondo State Govment don launch search and rescue operation for di aircraft wey crash.

Di team include representatives of di Ondo State Governor, Dr. Lucky Orimisan Aiyedatiwa, wey Senior Special Assistant to di Govnor on Emergency Response and Safety Enforcement, Wellington Oriade Adebawo dey lead.

Dem visit di reported crash location on Monday, October 5, 2026, to assess di situation and support efforts to locate di pipo wey bin dey di aircraft.

Oda members of di team include officials of di Ondo State Emergency Management Agency (ODSEMA), di National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA), representative of di Nigerian Red Cross Society and oda pipo.

Di Nigerian Navy officers, start assessment and search efforts. Tori be say dem find di aircraft wey dey under water wey make access to di wreckage and di occupants dey challenging.

"Di state govment don consequently intensified coordination wit relevant federal agencies and oda stakeholders involved for di operation, wit efforts focused on locating di aircraft, and recovering di occupants." Di state govment tok.

Dem go continue search and rescue on Tuesday

Minister of Aviation and Aerospace Development, Festus Keyamo for statement tok say im regret to inform di general public say, "Air Traffic Controllers don inform me of di disappearance of military aircraft wit tail number NGR 931, wey dey go Lagos from Benin at 0913 hours earlier today. All efforts to raise di aircraft on radio proved abortive."

Im add say na afta dem no fit radio di aircraft na im dem confam say di e don crash.

"Subsequently information however confam say di military aircraft don crash close to di Naval Base for Igbokoda, Ondo State. Dem don locate di wreckage and search and rescue operations dey go on."

According to di minister, preliminary information suggest say na 25 passengers and 7 crew members dey on board di aircraft.

Im add say even though di control and regulation of military aircraft dey completely outside di authority of di Ministry of Aviation, and Civil Aviation Authority, di Chief of Air Staff, Air Marshal Sunday Kelvin Aneke don pledge dia total cooperation and assistance for di search and rescue efforts wey dey go on.

'We hear loud sound like thunder' - Eye witness

Earlier, one resident, Olorunlola Oluwafemi, bin tell BBC say rain bin dey fall wen residents hear “one loud sound like thunder”.

Afta dem realise say no be thunder, e say: “We come outside and discover say na sometin wey look like jet.”

E say smoke bin dey rise from di area wia di aircraft crash.

According to Mr Oluwafemi, di aircraft crash near one forest close to one naval base wey dem know as Forward Operating Base (FOB) for Igbokoda.

Anoda eyewitness Asogbon Alexander, bin tell BBC say “We first tink say na thunder, we later hear say na plane crash. We carry canoe go begin find am.

“We find am till we see am inside di forest, we find am for ova 2 hrs. We no see anytin for dia, we no fit bring anytin come out, we see shoes, we see clothes, we see human flesh and intestines“ Alexander tok.

E add say “We notice say di engine don enta water, we no fit drag am out. We no find any bodi weda na dead or alive, We no know who dey inside di helicopter.”

Di Nigerian Navy and oda security agencies don deploy go di area, wia search and rescue operation dey ongoing.

Timeline of Nigeria Airforce airline crashes for Nigeria

Crashes of aeroplane no dey too common for Nigeria, but recently, NIgeria don record some aircraft accidents.

For October 24, 2024, Sikorsky SK76 Helicopter wey eastwind aviation operate and wey Nigerian National Petroleum Company (NNPC) charter crash for atlantic ocean near Bonny Finima, Port Harcourt.

Di helicopter bin dey carry personnel go one oil rig wen e crash, wey kpai eight pipo.

For December, 2023 one helicopter wey belong to di Nigerian Air Force bin crash for Port Harcourt wia all di crew members bin sustain injuries.

Di helicopter bin take-off early Friday morning on 1 December heading to Rivers state wit plan for one operation against wetin di force describe as ‘economic saboteurs’.

For August 2023, one aircraft wey belong to di Nigerian Air force bin crash for Niger state.

Tori reveal say di aircraft bin take-off from Kaduna wia e dey go Minna before di crash hapun for one village for Shiroro local govment Niger State.

For July 2023, di news of anoda crash bin comot again as one aircraft wey dem dey use train for di Nigerian Air Force crash for Benue state.

Although NAF tok say nobody die for di crash, but two pilots wey dey onboard land hospital sake of di crash.

Dat time, dem setup panel to investigate di cause of di crash wey involve a fighter jet belonging to di NAF.

For February 6, 2023, a maritime patrol aircraft crash land for Lagos. Di aircraft bin dey routine flight before e lose tyres wey make am control di landing go Murtala Muhammed International Airport, Lagos.