President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has declared a three-day period of national mourning for Nigerian Air Force personnel who died in the military aircraft crash in Igbokoda, Ondo State.
The President also directed that the national flag be flown at half-mast across the country as a mark of honour and respect for the fallen personnel.
Tinubu, in a condolence message to the Chief of the Air Staff, Air Marshal Sunday Kelvin Aneke, and officers, airmen and airwomen of the Nigerian Air Force, expressed profound sadness over the crash involving an NAF ATR-42 aircraft near a naval base in the Igbokoda area of Ilaje Local Government Area.
The aircraft, which was carrying 25 passengers and seven crew members, was on a routine mission from Benin to Lagos when the accident occurred on Monday.
“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,” the President said.
Tinubu said the Chief of the Air Staff had briefed him on the incident and directed the Nigerian Air Force to immediately commence a thorough investigation into the cause of the crash.
According to him, the investigation is necessary to establish what led to the accident and help prevent similar occurrences in the future.
The President also commended the Nigerian Air Force for promptly activating a search and rescue operation following the crash.
Meanwhile, the President’s spokesman, Bayo Onanuga, said the Nigerian Air Force would release the names of the deceased personnel after their families had been contacted.
The crash has cast a pall of grief over the Nigerian Armed Forces as authorities continue efforts to establish the full circumstances surrounding the tragic incident.
