President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has declared three days of national mourning for Nigerian Air Force personnel who died in the military aircraft crash near Igbokoda in Ondo State.
The ATR-42 aircraft crashed on Monday after losing contact with authorities while travelling from Benin to Lagos.
The State House said the aircraft had 25 passengers and seven crew members aboard. President Tinubu expressed condolences to the families of those who died and directed the Nigerian Air Force to conduct a thorough investigation into the cause of the accident.
The President also directed that national flags be flown at half-mast during the mourning period, according to reports on the directive.
The crash has triggered a military and government response, with search-and-rescue personnel deployed following the discovery of the wreckage.
The Federal Government has pledged to establish the circumstances surrounding the accident and determine measures required to prevent similar incidents.
The tragedy comes at a time when the Nigerian military continues to rely heavily on aviation assets for logistics, surveillance, troop movement and other operational duties.