Ondo State Governor, Lucky Aiyedatiwa, has said no survivor has so far been found following the crash of a Nigerian Air Force aircraft in Igbokoda, Ilaje Local Government Area of the state.
Aiyedatiwa disclosed this on Monday during an interview with Channels Television, saying residents, security personnel and emergency responders had been searching the crash site but had yet to locate anyone alive.
The governor said he received information about the incident at about 10:30am after the chairman of the local government contacted him.
According to him, residents across the river from the Nigerian Navy base in Igbokoda heard a loud sound before seeing the aircraft plunge into a swampy area.
He said personnel of the Nigerian Navy initially assessed the scene to determine whether there was a fire or explosion before moving towards the crash site.
Aiyedatiwa said officials from the state emergency management agency, local residents and Amotekun personnel subsequently joined the search operation.
He said wreckage from the aircraft, including parts of the wings, identification cards and uniforms, were recovered from the area.
The Nigerian Air Force has confirmed that the aircraft was an ATR-42 on a routine mission from Benin, Edo State, to Lagos. The aircraft, with tail number NGR 931, was reported to have disappeared from radar at about 9:13am before the crash was confirmed near the Naval Base in Igbokoda.
Aviation Minister Festus Keyamo said preliminary information indicated that 25 passengers and seven crew members, making 32 people in total, were aboard the aircraft.
The Nigerian Air Force said search and rescue operations were activated in coordination with relevant authorities and emergency response agencies.
Aiyedatiwa described the incident as a painful development, particularly because it occurred in his home state and local government, and expressed sympathy for the military personnel and others on board.
The governor has also directed state emergency and security agencies to provide full support for the ongoing search and rescue operation and ordered that the crash site be secured to allow emergency responders to work without hindrance.
At the time of the governor's statement, no survivor had been located. Search and rescue efforts were still ongoing.