The Minister of Aviation and Aerospace Development, Mr. Festus Keyamo, says a military aircraft has crashed near the Naval Base in Igbokoda, Ondo State.
He said in a statement, the aircraft, with tail number NGR 931, was en route from Benin to Lagos when air traffic controllers lost contact with it at about 9:13 this morning.
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According to him, all efforts to raise the aircraft on radio were unsuccessful before information was received that it had crashed near the naval base.
The wreckage has since been located, while search and rescue operations are ongoing.
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Preliminary information indicates that 25 passengers and seven crew members were on board the aircraft.
Mr. Keyamo stressed that the control and regulation of military aircraft are outside the jurisdiction of the Ministry of Aviation and Aerospace Development and the Nigeria Civil Aviation Authority.
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He, however, said he had spoken with the Chief of the Air Staff, Air Marshal Sunday Kelvin Aneke, and pledged the ministry’s full cooperation and assistance with the ongoing search and rescue efforts.
The minister said further details on the incident would be released as they become available.
