Nigerian military aircraft crashes, killing 32

ABUJA, Oct 5 — ​A Nigerian military plane flying from Benin City to Lagos crashed on ‌Monday in southwestern Ondo state, killing 25 passengers and ⁠seven crew members.

President ​Bola Tinubu, confirming ⁠that there were no survivors, expressed "profound ‌sadness" and extended ‌condolences to the families of those ⁠aboard.

"The Chief of ⁠Air Staff has briefed me, and I have directed the Nigerian Air Force to immediately commence a thorough investigation into the cause of the crash to ‌prevent future occurrences," Tinubu ​said in a statement.

The Air Force ATR-42 aircraft was on a routine mission from Benin City to Lagos when air traffic controllers lost contact with it at 0813 GMT on Monday, Aviation ​Minister Festus Keyamo said. The accident ‌was one ‌of ⁠the deadliest air disasters in Nigeria in recent years.

The wreckage was later located near the coastal town of Igbokoda, where ‌search and rescue ​teams were deployed.

(Reporting by ‌MacDonald Dzirutwe and ⁠Camillus ​Eboh, Editing by Elisha Bala-Gbogbo, Aidan Lewis, Peter ​Graff)

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