On Monday, Nigerian President Bola Ahmed Tinubu ordered the Air Force to open a “comprehensive investigation” into the causes of the crash of an ATR-42 military plane in Ondo State, southwest of the country, which was carrying 32 people. Three days of national mourning were declared, in one of the bloodiest military aviation accidents in Nigeria in recent years.
His advisor for media and strategy, Bayo Onanuga, said in a statement: “The Chief of Staff of the Air Force informed me of the incident, and I directed the Air Force to immediately begin a comprehensive investigation into the cause of the crash to prevent a recurrence of what happened.”
“This is a painful moment for our armed forces and the entire nation,” Tinubu said. Our Air Force personnel put their lives on the line every day to secure Nigeria. “Their sacrifices will never be forgotten.” The president offered his condolences to the families of the “twenty-five passengers and seven crew members.”
The statement did not include a clear death toll, but several media outlets considered it confirmation of the death of all those on board the plane. He praised the Air Force “immediately” activating search and rescue operations, and the “rapid response” of the first rescue teams and the Ondo government, stressing “our administration’s continued support” for the Air Force “as it continues its vital role in securing our country.”
Meanwhile, Aviation Minister Festus Keyamo said that air traffic controllers lost contact with the plane, at about 9:13 a.m., during a regular flight from Benin City, the capital of Edo State, to Lagos. The wreckage was found in a swampy area off the naval base in Igbokuda, the headquarters of Ilaje Local Government.
The minister explained that regulating military aircraft “falls entirely outside the authority of the Ministry of Aviation,” pledging to provide “full cooperation and assistance.” The model is a plane with two turbofan engines, and can accommodate between 30 and 50 passengers, according to the manufacturer.
Spokesman for the Defense Staff Command, Major General Ismail Uba, said on Tuesday that the plane was carrying soldiers and some of their family members. The authorities announced that the names of the victims would be published after their families were notified.
It was reported that the Air Force published the names of 25 people, including five crew members and 20 passengers, without explaining the difference from the number 32 announced by the president and the minister.
Nigerian newspapers quoted a local traditional leader that the plane crashed into a swamp in the rain far from the town, and that no survivors were found. Residents said they saw body parts, but were unable to approach due to the mud.
The traditional leader said: “We thank God first that the incident did not occur inside the town; Otherwise, the human losses would have been very heavy,” he said, noting that the plane did not catch fire, perhaps because a large part of it sank into the water. He continued: “We cannot accurately describe the situation currently, but based on what we have gathered so far, there was no survivor.”
A resident named Akintan Tolowalasi said that residents rushed to the site and saw human remains, but they were unable to help because the plane fell into the swamp. He indicated that naval personnel arrived at approximately 10:00 am.
Another resident, Abel Bamidele, said the crash occurred during the morning rain after a loud bang was heard. Some residents who can swim tried to search for survivors, but they did not find anyone.
Meanwhile, Ondo State Governor Loki Idatewa ordered emergency agencies and the Ministry of Health to provide logistical and human support, and to cordon off the crash site, while the Director of Public Relations and Media of the Nigerian Air Force, Air Force Brigadier General Ehemen Igudami, confirmed that the rescue operation was being conducted in coordination with the relevant authorities and emergency response agencies. He said: “The Nigerian Air Force launched an immediate search and rescue operation following the accident.”
The accident revived controversy over the safety of the military fleet in Nigeria. According to a review by the local newspaper The Guardian, 16 crashes of Nigerian military aircraft have been recorded since 2016, claiming the lives of at least 40 people, including the crash of a King Air 350 in Kaduna in 2021, in which the then Chief of Army Staff, Ibrahim Attahiru, and 10 others were killed.
The Civil Society Advocacy Center called on the legislature to consider “the safety of pilots and passengers and the reliability of aircraft,” amid concerns about the obsolescence of some of them. The National Safety Incident Investigation Office announced that it is awaiting an official invitation from the Air Force to participate in the investigation. Because, according to international practice, investigation into military incidents falls upon the military authority.
The Minister of Health, Aden Duale, said that Kenya recorded the first confirmed case of the Ebola virus, which is a Kenyan citizen who resided in the Democratic Republic of the Congo and arrived in Nairobi on Saturday.
After the citizen arrived at Nairobi International Airport, he underwent a health examination, and one of his relatives later accompanied him to Nairobi Hospital, according to Reuters news agency. Duale said he was taken to hospital suffering from fever, chills and bleeding under the skin, and was quickly placed in isolation.
He died late yesterday (Monday).
The Director-General of the Ministry of Health, Patrick Amoth, said that the patient may have passed the examination at the airport because the medications were masking his symptoms.
The patient will be buried today (Tuesday). 28 people who have been in contact with him have been identified so far, including members of his family and health workers.
Congo is battling the largest outbreak of the Ebola virus in its history, caused by the rare Bundibugyo strain. The outbreak was declared in mid-May, but it may have started months earlier, and containment efforts are still ongoing, as the Central African country has recorded more than 8,000 cases of infection and more than 4,000 deaths.
The outbreak had previously spread to Uganda, which recorded 20 cases and two deaths, and the World Health Organization announced in August that Uganda was free of the disease. Kenya is the third country to record a case linked to the Congolese strain of the Ebola virus.
The virus spreads through direct contact with the bodily fluids of infected people, whether they are alive or dead. It can cause fever, vomiting, diarrhea, and, in severe cases, internal and external bleeding.
