Nigeria Announces Mourning Period After Military Plane Crash
The Nigerian Air Force ATR-42 went down Monday near a naval facility in Igbokoda after air traffic controllers lost communication with the aircraft shortly after it departed from Benin City.
The aircraft was operating on a route from Benin to Lagos, according to Aviation and Aerospace Development Minister Festus Keyamo. The Air Force said the flight was part of a routine mission.
Initial information indicated that the aircraft had 25 passengers and seven crew members on board.
President Bola Ahmed Tinubu subsequently confirmed the deaths of Air Force personnel and announced a three-day mourning period in their memory. He also instructed authorities to lower national flags to half-mast throughout the country.
“This is a painful moment for our Armed Forces and for the entire nation,” Tinubu said in a statement.
Recovery efforts were complicated by the crash site’s location in a swampy area close to the naval base, making it difficult for emergency teams to reach the wreckage.
Military personnel and emergency responders were joined by local fishermen as they worked to access the crash site. Witnesses in the area said aircraft debris and personal belongings could be seen scattered around the wreckage.
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