President Bola Tinubu has declared three days of national mourning for Nigerian Air Force personnel killed in the crash of a military aircraft on Sunday.
The President in a statement by his Special Adviser on Information and Strategy Bayo Onanuga ordered flags to be flown at half-staff nationwide.
The declaration followed the crash of a Nigerian Air Force ATR-42 aircraft near a naval base in Igbokoda, Ondo State.
The plane, carrying 25 passengers and seven crew members, was on a routine mission from Benin City to Lagos when it went down.
Tinubu said he was deeply saddened by the accident, describing it as a loss to both the armed forces and the country.
“This is a painful moment for our Armed Forces and for the entire nation,” the president said in a condolence message to the Chief of Air Staff, Air Marshal Sunday Kelvin Aneke, and personnel of the Nigerian Air Force.
“Our Air Force personnel put their lives on the line every day to secure Nigeria. Their sacrifice will never be forgotten.”
The President said the Chief of Air Staff had briefed him on the crash and that he had instructed the Air Force to begin an immediate and comprehensive investigation to establish its cause and avert a recurrence.
He also commended the service for launching search-and-rescue operations shortly after the aircraft crashed.
The Nigerian Air Force said it would release the names of those involved after notifying their families.
