By GB News (World News) | Created at 2026-10-05 18:35:51 | Updated at 2026-10-06 20:48:13
1 day ago
Dozens are feared dead after a helicopter carrying 32 passengers has crashed in Nigeria.
Aviation Minister Festus Keyamo confirmed the incident on Monday, saying air traffic controllers lost contact with the aircraft early this morning.
The military helicopter, carrying 25 passengers along with seven crew members, crashed during a routine journey from Benin to Lagos.
Mr Keyamo confirmed a search and rescue operation was underway after the wreckage was recovered near a naval base in the town of Igbokoda.
In his statement, the Nigerian Aviation Minister said all attempts to reach the aircraft by radio failed before the crash was confirmed.
“Information confirmed that the military aircraft had crashed close to the Naval Base at Igbokoda, Ondo State.
“They have located the wreckage and search and rescue operations are ongoing," he said.
He said that Chief of Air Staff Air Marshal Sunday Kelvin Aneke had committed to providing full support for the search-and-rescue effort.
Dozens are feared dead after a helicopter carrying 32 passengers has crashed in Nigeria (file photo)
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The Nigerian Air Force confirmed that it launched a recovery operation immediately after the crash, with the Nigerian Navy and additional security agencies also deployed to the site.
Igbokoda resident Olorunlola Oluwafemi said locals had been disturbed by “a loud sound like thunder”.
Smoke could be seen billowing from the area where the aircraft came down, near a forest adjoining an outpost of the naval base.
Unverified videos online appear to show rescue operations underway
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A second witness, Asogbon Alexander, described taking a canoe to search for the wreckage for more than two hours.
Mr Alexander added that the engine appeared to have sunk beneath the water and could not be retrieved.
No bodies, living or dead, were recovered during the initial search, he said.
Nigeria has experienced a series of military aviation incidents in recent years.
In October 2024, a Sikorsky SK76 helicopter chartered by the Nigerian National Petroleum Company crashed into the Atlantic Ocean near Bonny Finima, Port Harcourt, claiming eight lives whilst transporting personnel to an oil rig.
The Nigerian Air Force suffered multiple accidents throughout 2023. A helicopter went down in Port Harcourt in December of that year, injuring all crew members during an operation targeting what authorities termed “economic saboteurs”.
Months earlier, in August 2023, an Air Force plane crashed in Niger State's Shiroro Local Government Area whilst en route from Kaduna to Minna.
A training aircraft also came down in Benue State in July 2023, though both pilots survived. In February 2023, a maritime patrol plane lost its tyres during landing at Lagos's Murtala Muhammed International Airport.
