Lagos CP Commiserates With Air Force Over Igbokoda Aircraft Tragedy
By Sherif Salau
The Lagos State Commissioner of Police has expressed profound condolences to the Nigerian Air Force, the families of the deceased and the nation following the crash of a military aircraft in Igbokoda, Ondo State, that claimed 25 lives.
In a statement issued in Lagos, the Commissioner described the incident as a painful national tragedy and extended the sympathy of the Lagos State Police Command to the Chief of the Air Staff, Air Marshal Sunday Kelvin Aneke, the officers, airmen and airwomen of the Nigerian Air Force, as well as the bereaved families.
The aircraft, an ATR-42 with registration NAF 931, was on a routine mission from Benin to Lagos on Monday, October 5, when it crashed into a swampy area near the Naval Base in Igbokoda, headquarters of Ilaje Local Government Area. All 25 people on board five crew members and 20 passengers perished. Search-and-recovery operations have continued in the difficult riverine terrain of creeks, mangroves and thick vegetation, with personnel of the Nigerian Navy, Marine Police and other emergency agencies working to recover remains and wreckage.
The Lagos CP noted that the fallen personnel had dedicated their lives to the service and security of the country.
“The loss of these gallant officers and personnel is deeply felt across the security community.
“Their sacrifice in the line of duty will not be forgotten. We stand in solidarity with the Nigerian Air Force and pray that the families find the strength to bear this irreparable loss.”
The tragedy has drawn widespread messages of condolence from President Bola Tinubu, who declared three days of national mourning, as well as from state governors, service chiefs and other public figures.
The Nigerian Air Force has opened a condolence register at its headquarters in Abuja and constituted a board of inquiry to investigate the circumstances of the crash. Aviation authorities have also moved to deepen collaboration between civil and military aviation safety frameworks in the aftermath of the incident.
