President Bola Tinubu has declared three days of national mourning for Nigerian Air Force personnel who died in Monday’s military aircraft crash in Ondo State. He also directed that flags be flown at half-mast across the country and ordered an investigation into the accident.
The ATR-42 aircraft crashed on 5 October near a naval base in Igbokoda, the headquarters of Ilaje Local Government Area. According to the Presidency, it was carrying 25 passengers and seven crew members on a routine mission from Benin City, Edo State, to Lagos.
The mourning announcement was issued on Monday by Bayo Onanuga, the President’s Special Adviser on Information and Strategy. It followed an earlier condolence message in which Tinubu said the Chief of Air Staff, Air Marshal Sunday Kelvin Aneke, had briefed him on the incident.
“This is a painful moment for our Armed Forces and for the entire nation,” Tinubu said. He directed the Air Force to establish the cause of the crash and use the findings to prevent similar accidents. No confirmed explanation for why the aircraft went down was available in the material reviewed.
Ondo State Governor Lucky Aiyedatiwa said on Monday evening that responders had found no survivors. His statement described the position at that stage of the operation; the Presidency’s mourning announcement confirmed deaths but did not provide a final casualty breakdown. The 32 people reported aboard should therefore be distinguished from an independently verified final death toll.
The aircraft came down in swampy terrain near the naval base, complicating access to the wreckage. Residents, security personnel and emergency responders joined efforts to reach the site. Aviation Minister Festus Keyamo pledged his ministry’s cooperation, while the Air Force said it was working with relevant agencies.
Akinbulejo Pius, a witness, described hearing a sudden loud sound before encountering wreckage and personal belongings. His account conveys the disruption experienced by nearby residents, but eyewitness observations alone cannot establish whether the accident resulted from a technical fault, weather conditions or another cause.
For relatives, the immediate concern is receiving reliable information about those aboard. The Presidency said the Air Force would release the deceased personnel’s names after contacting their families. No verified interviews with bereaved relatives were available in the reports reviewed, and their individual circumstances remain private.
The crash also affects personnel whose daily duties depend on military aviation. Nigeria has used ATR-42 aircraft for surveillance and reconnaissance, as well as moving personnel and supplies. Determining what happened on this flight will be important for assessing whether changes to procedures, maintenance or operations are necessary; no specific failing has yet been established.
The national mourning period provides a formal tribute while recovery and investigative work continue. Beyond lowering flags, the next substantive developments will be the release of verified casualty information and findings explaining the accident. As of the material reviewed on 6 October, the cause remained unconfirmed and the victims’ names had not been publicly released.
