Tinubu Declares 3-Day Mourning, Orders Investigation Into Tragic NAF Jet Crash
ABUJA, NIGERIA — President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has declared a three-day period of national mourning following the tragic crash of a Nigerian Air Force (NAF) aircraft in Ondo State.
The directive, announced by the Special Adviser on Information and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga, takes immediate effect.
During this time, national flags across all government buildings, military installations, and diplomatic missions will be flown at half-mast to honour the memory of the service members who lost their lives in the line of duty.
The incident, which occurred in a swampy area near the Naval Base in Igbokoda, Ilaje Local Government Area, initially drew conflicting reports regarding the type of aircraft involved. While initial field dispatches misidentified the wreckage as a helicopter, the Minister of Aviation, Festus Keyamo, later confirmed that the downed aircraft was a Nigerian Air Force ATR-42 jet, bearing tail number NGR 931.
According to official flight manifests, the jet was executing a routine mission from Benin to Lagos when it lost contact with air traffic control. The aircraft was carrying 32 individuals, comprising 25 passengers and 7 crew members.
Expressing deep sorrow over the immense loss, President Tinubu extended his heartfelt condolences to the families of the victims, as well as the leadership and entire personnel of the Nigerian Armed Forces.
To prevent future occurrences of such a magnitude, the President has explicitly directed the Chief of Air Staff, Air Marshal Sunday Kelvin Aneke, to launch an immediate, comprehensive investigation to unravel the exact circumstances and technical failures leading to the crash.
The Nigerian Air Force has stated that the identities of the deceased personnel will be formally made public once notifications to their next of kin are completed. Meanwhile, search, rescue, and recovery operations remain active at the crash site.
