BY TAIBAT UMMI YAKUBU

President Bola Tinubu has declared three days of national mourning following the death of Nigerian Air Force personnel in a military aircraft crash in Ondo State.

As part of the mourning period, the President directed that the Nigerian national flag be flown at half-mast across the country in honour of the fallen personnel.

The directive was contained in a statement issued on Monday by the President’s Special Adviser on Information and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga, in Abuja.

Tinubu had earlier expressed grief over the crash involving a Nigerian Air Force ATR-42 aircraft near a naval base in Igbokoda, Ondo State.

The aircraft was reportedly carrying 25 passengers and seven crew members and was conducting a routine flight from Benin to Lagos when the incident occurred.

Describing the incident as a painful moment for the military and the country, Tinubu commiserated with the Chief of Air Staff, Air Marshal Sunday Aneke, and the families and colleagues of the deceased.

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“Our Air Force personnel put their lives on the line every day to secure Nigeria. Their sacrifice will never be forgotten,” the President said.

Tinubu also ordered the Nigerian Air Force to immediately begin a comprehensive investigation into the circumstances surrounding the crash.

According to the President, determining what caused the accident would be crucial to preventing a recurrence and improving the safety of military aviation operations.

The identities of the personnel who died are expected to be made public by the Nigerian Air Force after their families have been formally informed.

The declaration of national mourning places the incident among the country’s solemn moments of remembrance, as the Armed Forces and the wider Nigerian public mourn the personnel who lost their lives while carrying out their duties.