The search for occupants of a Nigerian Air Force aircraft that crashed in Igbokoda, Ilaje Local Government Area of Ondo State, has so far yielded no survivor, Governor Lucky Aiyedatiwa has disclosed.
According to the governor, emergency responders, security personnel and local residents who combed the swampy crash site found wreckage and military items but no living person among those believed to have been aboard the aircraft.
Aiyedatiwa disclosed this on Monday during an interview with Channels Television, saying he was alerted to the incident at about 10:30am after receiving a call from the chairman of the affected local government area.
He said residents living across the river from the Nigerian Navy base in Igbokoda first heard a loud sound before noticing the aircraft descend into a swampy area.
The governor explained that Navy personnel initially approached the location cautiously because they needed to establish whether the crash had caused a fire or explosion.
“When they noticed that it’s just an accident, they didn’t see any sign of fire. So they moved in, trying to see if they could rescue the people,” Aiyedatiwa said.
He said the search effort was subsequently expanded, with personnel from the local emergency management agency, residents and members of the Ondo State Security Network Agency, popularly known as Amotekun Corps, joining the operation.
“But from the information we got, no single life was saved up to this moment. They could not see any living soul that was in that aircraft,” the governor said.
Aiyedatiwa said the search teams recovered portions of the aircraft, including parts of its wings, as well as identification cards and military uniforms.
He said the discovery of the items helped investigators and rescuers establish that the aircraft involved was a military plane.
“But they saw the ruins, some of the wreckage from the wings of the aircraft, you know, some ID cards, I was told, and then uniform. That was when they knew it was a military aircraft,” he said.
The governor described the incident as particularly painful because it occurred not only in Ondo State but also within his own local government area.
“So it’s a sad situation today. And also it happens in my own state, not just my state, even in my own local government where I’m from,” he said.
Aiyedatiwa also expressed sympathy for the military personnel involved, noting that they were carrying out duties related to the defence of Nigeria’s territorial integrity.
“It happens to Nigerian military officers who are assigned to protect the territorial integrity of our country and, you know, involving such, you know, accidents. So, so painful. So painful, but so sad,” he added.
The Nigerian Air Force had confirmed that the aircraft, an ATR-42 with registration number NGR 931, crashed in Igbokoda while conducting a routine mission from Benin, Edo State, to Lagos.
