Nigeria’s President Bola Ahmed Tinubu declared three days of national mourning on Tuesday after an Air Force plane crashed in the southwestern state of Ondo, killing all 32 people on board.
President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, who is also Commander-in-chief of the Armed Forces, ordered flags flown at half-staff across the country after authorities confirmed there were no survivors.
The aircraft, an ATR-42 belonging to the Nigerian Air Force, crashed in the southwestern state of Ondo, in an accident that local media describe as one of the deadliest aviation disasters in the country in recent years.
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The plane was on a routine flight from Benin City to Lagos when air traffic controllers lost contact with it, according to Aviation Minister Festus Keyamo. Search and rescue teams were deployed immediately, and the wreckage was later located near the coastal city of Igbokoda.
The Nigerian Air Force activated a search and rescue operation as soon as the aircraft went missing, a response President Tinubu publicly praised. Despite those efforts, rescuers found no survivors among the 25 passengers and seven crew members aboard.
Yesterday, Nigeria lost brave men and women of our Air Force in the service of our country.
This is a painful moment for our Armed Forces and for the entire nation. Our Air Force personnel put their lives on the line every day to secure Nigeria. Their sacrifice will never be… pic.twitter.com/sX8Bv7Ne0j
— Bola Ahmed Tinubu (@officialABAT) October 6, 2026
In a message posted on the social network X, Tinubu expressed his sorrow and extended condolences to the families of the victims. “Yesterday, Nigeria lost brave men and women of our Air Force in service to our country. This is a painful moment for our Armed Forces and for the entire nation,” he wrote.
The President paid tribute to the sacrifice of military personnel, saying that Air Force members put their lives on the line every day to protect Nigeria. “Their sacrifice will never be forgotten,” he added.
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Investigation Under Way
After being briefed by the Chief of the Air Staff, Tinubu ordered an immediate and thorough investigation to determine what caused the crash. Officials have not yet identified the cause, and authorities say they are awaiting the findings of the official technical examination before drawing any conclusions.
The Nigerian President also instructed authorities to take the necessary measures to prevent similar incidents in the future, though no details have been provided on what those measures might include. The ATR-42 is a twin-engine turboprop commonly used for regional routes, and the crash has renewed attention on the safety of both military and civil aviation in Nigeria.
As the three-day mourning period begins, the country awaits further information on the identities of the victims and the progress of the investigation. Authorities have not announced when preliminary findings might be released.
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