Nigeria has declared three days of national mourning following the crash of a military aircraft in Ondo State that claimed the lives of all 32 people aboard.
President Bola Tinubu ordered flags across the country to be flown at half-mast and directed the Nigerian Air Force to carry out a full investigation into the accident, which happened on Monday morning near a naval base in Igbokoda.
The aircraft was travelling from Benin City to Lagos on a routine mission when it crashed in the southern part of Ondo State.
The victims were 25 passengers and seven crew members, according to authorities. Their identities had not been made public by the time of the report, with officials saying the names of the military officers would be released after their families had been informed.
Tinubu conveyed his condolences to the families of those who died and paid tribute to the military personnel who lost their lives while serving the country.
"This is a painful moment for our Armed Forces and for the entire nation," Tinubu said.
"Our Air Force personnel put their lives on the line every day to secure Nigeria. Their sacrifice will never be forgotten," he added.
The president's mourning directive was accompanied by an order for an immediate investigation into the circumstances surrounding the crash, with the aim of establishing what happened and helping prevent similar accidents in the future.
The incident was first reported by Aviation Minister Festus Keyamo, who said communication with the aircraft had been lost while it was heading to Lagos.
Keyamo said he had been informed "of the disappearance of a military aircraft with tail number NGR 931, enroute Lagos from Benin at 0913 hours earlier today".
He added that "efforts to raise the aircraft on radio proved abortive" before authorities later confirmed that the aircraft had gone down close to a naval base in Igbokoda.
Search and rescue teams were subsequently deployed to the area as authorities worked to establish the extent of the accident.
A resident who spoke to the BBC said the aircraft had come down near a swamp. Clothes and shoes were reportedly found around the crash site, while smoke could be seen rising from the area.
The aircraft has been described as an ATR-42, which can carry between 30 and 50 passengers, according to its manufacturers.
The Nigerian Air Force is involved in operations against armed groups and other security threats in different parts of the country, making military aircraft an important part of the country's security operations.
The latest accident is among the deadliest aviation disasters involving Nigeria's military in recent years.
In May 2021, Nigeria's army chief, Lt-Gen Ibrahim Attahiru, was killed together with 10 other officers when a military aircraft crashed in Kaduna State during bad weather.
Earlier in February that year, seven people died when another military aircraft crashed short of a runway in Abuja.
Authorities are now expected to use the investigation ordered by Tinubu to determine the cause of Monday's crash as the country observes the three-day mourning period for the 32 victims.