By Ade Oyeyemi
Search and rescue operations have continued at the site of the Nigerian Air Force aircraft crash in Igbokoda, Ilaje Local Government Area of Ondo State.
The Ondo State Government has deployed medical personnel, ambulances and other emergency resources to support efforts to locate and rescue occupants of the aircraft.
The state Commissioner for Health, Dr Banji Ajaka, said he personally participated in the response operation, which was being conducted near the Nigerian Naval Base in Igbokoda.
Ajaka disclosed this in a message early Tuesday, saying the crash site was about 500 metres east of the naval base.
According to him, he spent several hours at the location with the Commanding Officer of the Forward Operating Base, Igbokoda, military personnel and local divers involved in the search.
He said the operation continued until about 11pm on Monday and was expected to resume on Tuesday with additional equipment, including swamp buggies, to aid access to the difficult terrain.
Medical personnel and ambulances from health facilities in Ilaje and Okitipupa local government areas were also mobilised following a directive from Governor Lucky Aiyedatiwa.
Ajaka said military personnel, divers, healthcare workers and other emergency responders were working together in the operation.
He appealed to residents and members of the public to avoid spreading unverified information about the crash, warning that videos and reports recorded from locations away from the actual site could create confusion.
“This is a national disaster that we shouldn’t play politics with,” Ajaka said, urging the public to “tarry and wait for verified information.”
The commissioner commended medical personnel from the State Specialist Hospital, Okitipupa; General Hospital, Igbokoda; Comprehensive Health Centre, Igbokoda; and other facilities for their participation in the emergency response.
He also praised the naval personnel, local divers and other responders involved in the search operation.
Meanwhile, the Senior Special Assistant to the Governor on Emergency Response and Safety Enforcement, Prince Wellington Oriade Adebawo, led a government delegation to the crash site on Monday to assess the situation and support the rescue efforts.
The delegation included officials of the Ondo State Emergency Management Agency, the National Emergency Management Agency and representatives of the Nigerian Red Cross Society.
According to Adebawo, the aircraft, identified as NAF 970, an ATR-42 operated by the Nigerian Air Force, was carrying 32 people comprising 25 passengers and seven crew members when it crashed in the Igbokoda area while on a routine mission from Benin to Lagos.
He said the state government team worked with Nigerian Navy personnel to assess the scene and commence search operations.
Adebawo disclosed that the aircraft was found submerged in water, making access to the wreckage and its occupants difficult.
He said the state government had consequently intensified coordination with relevant federal agencies and other stakeholders to support the search and recovery operation.
“The search operation continued throughout Monday, while further search and rescue activities have been scheduled to resume on Tuesday, October 6, 2026, with the relevant agencies expected to intensify efforts at the site,” Adebawo said.
He urged residents to remain calm and rely on verified information from government and emergency agencies as the operation continues.
The state government has not provided a confirmed casualty figure, with search and rescue efforts still ongoing at the crash site.
