Nigeria military aircraft with 32 aboard crashes in Ondo state, many feared dead
In short
A Nigerian air force aircraft carrying 32 people, including seven crew, crashed in Ondo state in southern Nigeria on October 5. Reports say many of those on board may have died. The aircraft, an ATR42, was flying from Edo state to Lagos, according to Reuters. President Bola Tinubu has ordered a thorough investigation into the cause, which remains unknown.
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A Nigerian air force aircraft carrying 32 people crashed in Ondo state in southern Nigeria on October 5, according to Japanese wire-based reports. The aircraft was an ATR42 and was flying from Edo state to Lagos, Reuters reported, as cited by the reports. The number of deaths was not confirmed, but the reports said many people may have died. [ 1 , 4 ]
Seven crew members were among the 32 people on board, the reports said. The circumstances of the crash were not clear, and the documents give no confirmed casualty figure. Two national newspapers carried the story only as a headline and short item, saying 32 people were on board and many deaths were feared. [ 1 , 2 , 3 , 4 ]
President Bola Tinubu ordered a thorough investigation into the cause of the crash, according to the reports. Nigeria also suffered an aircraft crash in May 2021 near an airport in Kaduna in the north, in which 11 people died, including the army's most senior officer, the reports noted as background. [ 1 , 4 ]
Why it matters
The crash is one of Nigeria's deadliest aviation incidents in recent years if the reported casualty toll is confirmed, and it puts pressure on the government and military aviation safety record. The order by the president for a full investigation means official findings on the cause are still to come. The documents give no further basis for assessing the wider consequences.
Key facts
- The aircraft crashed in Ondo state in southern Nigeria on October 5. [ 1 , 4 ]
- A total of 32 people were on board, including seven crew members, according to reports. [ 1 , 4 ]
- Many people may have died, the reports said, without giving a confirmed toll. [ 1 , 2 , 3 , 4 ]
- The aircraft was an ATR42 and was flying from Edo state to Lagos, Reuters reported. [ 1 , 4 ]
- The circumstances of the crash are not known. [ 1 , 4 ]
- President Bola Tinubu ordered a thorough investigation into the cause. [ 1 , 4 ]
- In May 2021, an aircraft crashed near an airport in Kaduna in northern Nigeria, killing 11 people including the army's most senior officer. [ 1 , 4 ]
Confirmed by several sources
Still unclear
- The number of dead and injured. Documents say many deaths are possible but give no confirmed casualty figure; no outlet reports a verified toll.
- What caused the crash. Both documents carrying details say the circumstances of the crash are not clear.
- The exact location within Ondo state and the time of the crash. Only the state is named, and no time of day is given for the crash itself; the only times in the documents are publication times.
- Whether all 32 people on board were military personnel. Documents describe a military aircraft and give crew numbers but do not say who the other passengers were.
- The aircraft carried seven crew members among the 32 people on board. Reported by a single source so far
- President Bola Tinubu ordered a thorough investigation into the cause of the crash. Reported by a single source so far
- Nigeria saw another aircraft crash in May 2021 near an airport in Kaduna in the north, in which 11 people including the army's most senior officer died. Reported by a single source so far
What local media are saying
Timeline, local time
- Livedoor News publishes a report that a Nigerian air force aircraft with 32 people on board has crashed in Ondo state, with many deaths possible. [ 1 ]
- Tokyo Shimbun and Nishi-Nippon Shimbun publish reports on the crash and the feared death toll. [ 2 , 3 ]
- Sankei Shimbun publishes a fuller report with the ATR42 aircraft type, the Edo state to Lagos route cited to Reuters, the president's investigation order and the 2021 Kaduna crash. [ 4 ]