A MILITARY aircraft crashed into a swamp near Naval Base in Igbokoda, the headquarters of Ilaje Local Government Area of Ondo State, on Monday, October 5.
The incident occurred at about 11.00a.m during heavy down pour, throwing the coastal community into panic.
The Minister of Aviation and Aerospace Development, Festus Keyamo, confirmed the incident, saying 32 people were on board the aircraft.
Keyamo said the aircraft, with tail number NGR 931, was travelling from Benin to Lagos when air traffic controllers lost contact with it at about 9:13 a.m.
The wreckage was subsequently located near the Naval Base in Igbokoda, and he said search and rescue operations had been launched.
In a statement on his X handle, Keyamo said preliminary information indicated that 25 passengers and seven crew members were on board the aircraft.
The minister said he had spoken with the Chief of Air Staff, Sunday Aneke, an Air Marshal, and pledged the ministry’s cooperation and assistance with the ongoing search and rescue operation.
He, however, noted that the control and regulation of military aircraft were outside the authority of the Ministry of Aviation and Aerospace Development and the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority.
The Chairman of the Ilaje Local Government Area, Maurice Oripenaiye, who spoke shortly after the crash and before Keyamo confirmed it, told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in a telephone interview that he could not ascertain the number of victims.
Oripenaye said he was yet to ascertain the identity of the crashed helicopter and the passengers.
“It happened during the heavy rainfall at about 11.00a.m. I cannot confirm the number of the people on board. I have deployed some youths to the area for rescue purpose,” he told NAN.
Similarly, the Police Command in Ondo State while confirming the crash before Keyamo, had said details surrounding the incident were still emerging.
The command in a statement by its spokesperson, Abayomi Jimoh, a deputy superintendent of police, in Akure, said efforts were ongoing to establish the full circumstances surrounding the crash.
“The command urges members of the public, particularly residents of Igbokoda and adjoining communities, to remain calm and refrain from circulating unverified information.
“The public will be duly informed as soon as further credible information becomes available,” it stated.
Note: This report has been upddated to reflect the comments by the Minister of Aviation and Aerospace Development, Festus Keyamo.
News Agency
Mustapha Usman is an investigative journalist with the International Centre for Investigative Reporting. You can easily reach him via: musman@icirnigeria.com. He tweets @UsmanMustapha_M