Nigeria: Military Aircraft Crash - How Naval Personnel and Residents Try to Rescue Victims - Gov Aiyedatiwa

What the report says

Ondo State Governor Lucky Aiyedatiwa said rescue teams had not found any survivors after a Nigerian Air Force aircraft crashed in the Igbokoda area of Ilaje Local Government Area in southwestern Nigeria. He said the aircraft carried 32 people, including seven crew members and 25 passengers, and that residents, emergency officials and security personnel searched the swampy crash site through Monday after the incident.

According to the governor, people nearby first heard a loud noise before seeing the aircraft nose-dive into the swamp. He said Nigerian Navy personnel initially held back over fears of fire or an explosion, then moved in once no flames were seen. Local emergency responders, residents and the Amotekun security group also joined the search. Aiyedatiwa said wreckage, identity cards and military uniforms were recovered, helping confirm the aircraft was military.

The governor expressed sorrow over the crash and extended sympathy to the Nigerian Air Force and the families of those on board. In a separate statement, President Bola Tinubu also mourned the victims, praised the rapid search-and-rescue response and ordered a thorough investigation. He declared a three-day mourning period. The cause of the crash was not immediately known, and the Air Force said it had begun an investigation.