The United States and Türkiye have joined Nigerians in mourning the 25 people who died in Monday’s Nigerian Air Force aircraft crash in Ondo State, as the Air Force confirmed that there were no survivors.
The Guardian reports that the Nigerian Air Force has released the identities of the 25 victims, comprising five crew members and 20 passengers, while search and recovery operations continue at the crash site in the creeks of Igbokoda, Ondo State.
The U.S. Mission in Nigeria expressed condolences to the families, friends and colleagues of the victims, reaffirming the longstanding security partnership between Washington and Abuja.
Türkiye, through its Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Embassy in Abuja, also conveyed sympathy to the bereaved families and the Nigerian people over what it described as a tragic military aircraft accident.
The Displaced Children Foundation Canada equally expressed condolences, while the Nigerian Army and Nigerian Navy commiserated with the Nigerian Air Force and the families of the fallen personnel.
The crash involved an NAF ATR-42 aircraft carrying 25 people on a routine mission from Benin to Lagos. According to the Air Force, search and rescue efforts were immediately activated, but no survivors were found.
President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has declared three days of national mourning and directed that flags be flown at half mast across the country in honour of the victims.
Recovery efforts have been intensified at the difficult swampy crash site, with two amphibious excavators, known as swamp buggies, deployed alongside technical personnel to assist in locating and recovering the wreckage and victims’ remains.
Meanwhile, the Nigerian Air Force has commenced a comprehensive investigation to establish the circumstances surrounding the crash. The Christian Association of Nigeria and the African Democratic Congress have also called for a transparent investigation and stronger attention to aircraft maintenance and aviation safety.
The Senate has postponed its planned National Security Summit, earlier scheduled for October 12 and 13, in honour of the fallen military personnel. A new date is expected to be announced later.
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