Nigerian President Bola Tinubu has declared three days of national mourning after a military aircraft crashed in the southern state of Ondo, killing all 32 people on board.
The aircraft was on a routine flight from Benin City to Lagos when it crashed near a naval base in Igbokoda on Monday morning, according to authorities.
A local resident told the BBC that the plane came down near a swamp, where clothes and shoes were found at the crash site. Smoke was also seen rising from the area.
Tinubu expressed his deepest condolences over the deaths of 25 passengers and seven crew members and ordered a comprehensive investigation into the accident.
He also directed that national flags be flown at half-mast across the country in honour of the victims.
"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.
Aviation Minister Festus Keyamo earlier said he had been informed about the disappearance of military aircraft NGR 931 while it was travelling from Benin City to Lagos at 9:13am on Monday.
He said attempts to contact the aircraft by radio were unsuccessful before authorities confirmed that it had crashed near the naval base in Igbokoda, Ondo State. Search and rescue operations were under way, he added.
The aircraft was identified as an ATR-42, a model manufactured to carry between 30 and 50 passengers.
Tinubu ordered the Nigerian Air Force to immediately investigate the cause of the crash and take steps to prevent similar incidents.
The identities of the victims have not yet been released. Authorities said the names of the officers would be made public after their families were notified.
The Nigerian Air Force plays a key role in military operations against armed groups and insecurity across several parts of the country.
The crash is among Nigeria's deadliest aviation disasters in recent years. In May 2021, army chief Lt-Gen Ibrahim Attahiru and 10 other officers died when their aircraft crashed in Kaduna State amid bad weather.
In February 2021, seven people were killed when a military aircraft crashed short of a runway in the capital, Abuja.
With inputs from BBC