The Nigerian Air Force (NAF) and Minister of Aviation and Aerospace Development, Festus Keyamo, have provided different figures on the number of people aboard the Nigerian Air Force aircraft that crashed in Igbokoda, Ondo State.
While Keyamo initially reported that 32 people were on board, comprising 25 passengers and seven crew members, the NAF later confirmed that the aircraft carried 25 occupants — 20 passengers and five crew members.
The NAF subsequently released the identities of all 25 occupants and confirmed that there were no survivors.
According to the Air Force, the aircraft, identified as NAF 931, was conducting a routine flight from Benin to Lagos when it crashed in the Igbokoda area.
The service said search-and-rescue operations were immediately launched in collaboration with relevant authorities following the incident.
“No survivors have been found,” the NAF said.
The five crew members were identified as Squadron Leader M.I. Aburime, the flight captain; Squadron Leader A.P. Man-Ugwueje and Flight Lieutenant I.S. Bako, both co-pilots; Warrant Officer A. Abubakar, an aircraft technician; and Corporal H.C. Uguru, also an aircraft technician.
The NAF said the Chief of the Air Staff, Air Marshal Sunday Kelvin Aneke, had expressed condolences to the families and colleagues of the victims.
Aneke also ordered a comprehensive investigation to determine the circumstances surrounding the crash. The Air Force appealed to the public to refrain from spreading speculation or unverified information and to respect the privacy of the victims’ families.
A condolence register has also been opened at the NAF headquarters in Abuja for government officials, members of the diplomatic corps, security chiefs and other well-wishers.
The discrepancy in the casualty figures followed an earlier statement by Keyamo after air traffic controllers alerted him at about 9:13am that a military aircraft travelling from Benin to Lagos had lost contact.
The minister said efforts to establish contact with the aircraft were initially unsuccessful before its crash near the Naval Base in Igbokoda was confirmed.
“The wreckage has been located, and search and rescue operations are ongoing,” Keyamo said.
Keyamo had said 32 people were aboard the aircraft, including 25 passengers and seven crew members. He also stated that the regulation and control of military aircraft fell outside the jurisdiction of the Ministry of Aviation and Aerospace Development and the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority.
The NAF’s subsequent statement, however, established the number of occupants at 25, consisting of five crew members and 20 passengers, all of whom died in the crash.
