The Nigerian Air Force and the Minister of Aviation and Aerospace Development, Festus Keyamo, have given different figures for the number of people aboard the NAF ATR-42 aircraft that crashed in Igbokoda, Ondo State.
While Keyamo initially said 32 people, comprising 25 passengers and seven crew members, were on board, the NAF later said there were 25 people, made up of five crew members and 20 passengers.
The NAF subsequently released the names of all 25 people who died in the crash involving the aircraft designated NAF 931.
Air Commodore Ehimen Ejodame, who released the list, said all 25 people aboard had been accounted for and that no survivor was found.
The five crew members were identified as Squadron Leader M. I. Aburime, the flight captain; Squadron Leader A. P. Man-Ugwueje and Flight Lieutenant I. S. Bako, both co-pilots; Warrant Officer A. Abubakar, an aircraft technician; and Corporal H. C. Uguru, an aircraft technician.
The NAF said the aircraft was on a routine mission from Benin to Lagos when it crashed in the Igbokoda area of Ondo State.
According to the service, search-and-rescue operations were activated immediately, with relevant authorities involved in efforts to locate and account for everyone on board.
The Chief of the Air Staff, Air Marshal Sunday Kelvin Aneke, expressed condolences to the families of the victims and described the crash as a painful moment for the Nigerian Air Force and the country.
Aneke also directed a comprehensive investigation to determine the circumstances surrounding the crash.
The NAF urged the public to avoid speculation and the circulation of unverified information while respecting the privacy of the affected families.
However, Keyamo’s preliminary statement issued on October 5 gave a different account of the number of people aboard the aircraft.
The minister said air traffic controllers informed him around 9:13am that a military aircraft with tail number NGR 931 had disappeared while flying from Benin to Lagos.
He said attempts to establish radio contact with the aircraft initially failed before information later emerged that it had crashed near the Naval Base in Igbokoda.
Keyamo said the wreckage had been located and search-and-rescue operations were underway.
However, his statement put the number of people aboard at 32, comprising 25 passengers and seven crew members.
The minister also clarified that the regulation and control of military aircraft were outside the authority of his ministry and the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority.
The discrepancy between the two official accounts leaves a difference of seven people in the reported number of occupants aboard the aircraft.
