“The Wreckage Has Been Located”: Keyamo Confirms Military Aircraft Crash In Ondo

A military aircraft travelling from Benin to Lagos has crashed near the Naval Base in Igbokoda, Ondo State, after losing radio contact, with search-and-rescue operations now underway.

Minister of Aviation and Aerospace Development, Festus Keyamo, disclosed this in a statement on his X handle, saying Air Traffic Controllers first informed him of the aircraft’s disappearance at about 9:13 a.m.

Keyamo said all efforts to re-establish radio communication with the aircraft proved unsuccessful before subsequent information confirmed that it had crashed in the Igbokoda area.

He said the wreckage had been located close to the Naval Base, adding that search-and-rescue teams were already operating at the scene.

“The wreckage has been located and search and rescue operations are ongoing,” Keyamo said.

According to the minister, preliminary information indicated that 25 passengers and seven crew members were aboard the aircraft, bringing the reported number of people on board to 32.

However, the minister did not disclose the identities or condition of those aboard, while authorities have yet to announce any confirmed casualty figure.

Keyamo also clarified that military aviation operations fall outside the regulatory authority of the Ministry of Aviation and Aerospace Development and the civil aviation authorities.

Despite this, he said he had spoken with the Chief of Air Staff, Air Marshal Sunday Kelvin Aneke, and pledged the ministry’s “total cooperation and assistance” in the ongoing search-and-rescue effort.

The minister said further information would be released as it becomes available.

The incident remains a developing situation, with attention now focused on the rescue operation and official updates on the condition of those aboard the aircraft.