Nigeria, Oct. 5 -- There were 32 people on board a military aircraft that crashed in Ondo State on Monday, the Minister of Aviation, Festus Keyamo, said in a post on X.

PREMIUM TIMES reported the crash on Monday morning, with the Nigerian Air Force saying the aircraft was travelling on a routine mission from Benin to Lagos.

In his first official statement on the crash, Mr Keyamo said, "Preliminary information suggests that there were 25 passengers and 7 crew members on board."

Search and rescue operations are still ongoing, and the casualty figure from the crash has yet to be determined.

Read the minister's full statement below.

"I regret to inform the general public that Air Traffic Controllers have informed me of the disappearance ...