A military aircraft crashed in southern Nigeria’s Ondo State, killing 25 people, prompting President Bola Tinubu to declare three days of national mourning. The crash occurred in a swamp area, where rescue operations were complicated by the terrain. Authorities confirmed the number of fatalities, with no immediate reports of survivors.
The aircraft, believed to be a military transport plane, went down in a remote part of Ondo State, where access is limited. Emergency services and military personnel were deployed to the site to recover bodies and assess damage. The Nigerian Air Force has taken responsibility for the incident and is conducting an investigation into the cause of the crash.
This is the second major aviation incident involving Nigerian military aircraft in less than a year. In 2025, a similar crash in Lagos killed 18 personnel, leading to a review of safety protocols. The current crash has raised concerns about the operational conditions of military aviation in the country. The government has pledged to provide support to the families of the victims and to ensure a thorough inquiry.
