Tragedy in the skies. Tears on the ground.
Rescue teams are battling through swampy terrain in Ondo State searching for survivors after a Nigerian Air Force aircraft crashed with 32 souls on board, as President Bola Tinubu declared three days of national mourning.
Horror In Igbokoda
The NAF ATR-42 aircraft, carrying 25 passengers and 7 crew members, was on a routine flight from Benin to Lagos when it went down near a naval base in Igbokoda on Monday.
The crash site is chaotic. The Air Force has activated full search and rescue operations, but hopes are fading by the hour.
President Tinubu, in a statement by his spokesman Bayo Onanuga, said he was devastated by the loss.
“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 forgotten,” Tinubu said.
Flags At Half-Mast, Investigation Ordered
The President ordered flags to be flown at half-mast nationwide throughout the mourning period in honour of the fallen heroes.
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He also ordered the Chief of Air Staff, Air Marshal Sunday Kelvin Aneke, to immediately commence a thorough investigation to unravel the cause of the crash and prevent a recurrence.
“I have directed the Nigerian Air Force to immediately commence a thorough investigation into the cause of the crash,” he said.
Tinubu commended the Air Force for its swift search and rescue response but said the nation must await answers.
The Presidency said identities of the deceased will be made public by the Air Force only after their families have been formally contacted.
For now, the nation mourns. And in the creeks of Igbokoda, the search continues — for bodies, for survivors, for answers.
