No fewer than 32 people, including military personnel, their family members and crew, were killed when a Nigerian Air Force ATR-42 aircraft crashed into a swamp opposite the Naval Base in Igbokoda, Ondo State.

The aircraft, which had airmen, soldiers and family members on board, crashed on Monday while on a logistics mission from Benin to Lagos for NAF operations.

Sources said some of the passengers were family members of military personnel, including children returning to school and relatives who had visited their loved ones serving in Edo and Delta states.

The aircraft, with tail number NGR 931, was reportedly en route to Lagos when air traffic controllers lost contact with it at about 9:13am.

Minister of Aviation and Aerospace Development, Festus Keyamo, later confirmed that 25 passengers and seven crew members were on board.

He said efforts to establish radio contact with the aircraft failed before the crash was confirmed near the Naval Base at Igbokoda. The wreckage was subsequently located, with search and rescue operations activated.

Residents of the coastal community said they heard a loud sound from the swampy area where the aircraft went down. One resident, Oluboyo Olusola, said he saw parts of the aircraft, body parts and clothes scattered around the crash site.

The Olu of Igbokoda, Oba Afolabi Odidiomo, said the aircraft crashed into a river and swampy area while it was raining, adding that a substantial part of the aircraft had become submerged.

He said preliminary information gathered in the community indicated that there were no survivors.

The Chairman of Ilaje Local Government Area, Maurice Oripelaye, also confirmed the crash and said military equipment had been recovered from the site. He attributed the incident to poor weather, saying the pilot was reportedly attempting to manoeuvre when the aircraft crashed.

However, the police said details surrounding the incident were still emerging and urged residents to refrain from circulating unverified information.

The Nigerian Air Force said it had immediately activated search and rescue operations in coordination with relevant authorities and emergency response agencies.

President Bola Tinubu expressed sadness over the crash and directed the NAF to conduct a thorough investigation into its cause.

The President also declared three days of national mourning for the victims and ordered that flags be flown at half-mast in their honour.