AKURE: Rescue efforts were still ongoing on Monday night after a military aircraft crashed in Igbokoda, Ilaje Local Government Area of Ondo State, with Governor Lucky Aiyedatiwa confirming that no survivor had been recovered as of the latest update.

According to the governor, rescue teams had so far found parts of the aircraft, including wing wreckage, identity cards and military uniforms, but had yet to reach the main body of the aircraft after it plunged deep into a swamp.

Aiyedatiwa disclosed the development during an interview on Politics Today, a Channels Television programme, explaining that the difficult terrain had slowed efforts to access the crash site.

The governor said the aircraft was carrying 32 people 25 passengers and seven crew members — and was on a surveillance mission from Benin to Lagos when it lost radio communication at about 9:15 a.m.

He said he was informed of the crash at about 10:30 a.m. by the chairman of Ilaje Local Government Area, who reported that residents had heard a sound similar to an air tremor before the aircraft plunged into the swamp opposite the Naval Forward Operating Base in Igbokoda.

According to Aiyedatiwa, residents who reached the area initially saw portions of the aircraft, including parts of its wings, as well as identity cards and uniforms which indicated that the aircraft belonged to the military.

However, the main section of the aircraft had disappeared deep into the swamp, making it difficult for rescuers to conduct a full search.

The governor said naval personnel, local emergency responders, Amotekun operatives and residents immediately mobilised to the area using boats after the crash was reported.

Despite the efforts, he said rescuers had not found anyone alive at the site as of Monday night.

The crash location has since been cordoned off, while hospitals in Igbokoda and Okitipupa have been placed on standby to receive possible casualties.

Aiyedatiwa added that ambulances recently procured for Ondo State’s 18 local government areas were also available to support the emergency response.

He said the Nigerian Air Force and the Nigerian Safety Investigation Bureau had commenced investigations into the crash.

According to the governor, investigators would need to recover the aircraft’s black box before the precise cause of the accident could be established.

The governor also spoke about the recent elimination of Abdussamad Ohida, described as a top ISWAP coordinator operating in Ondo forests.

Aiyedatiwa said the security operation that led to Ohida’s elimination took place about five days earlier, following months of highly classified surveillance and intelligence gathering.

He said the operation involved the Department of State Services, Nigerian Army, British intelligence officers and Amotekun, adding that no security personnel were killed during the operation.

According to the governor, Ohida had taken over the leadership of the group after his former superior, described as a Central Nigeria ISWAP leader, was arrested by the DSS in 2023.

Aiyedatiwa said intelligence obtained from that arrest, combined with information gathered while tracking another leader previously eliminated by the DSS, helped security agencies locate and target the group.

The governor said the criminals operating in the forest were equipped with sophisticated weapons beyond the commonly known AK-47.

He specifically mentioned general-purpose machine guns (GPMG) among the weapons reportedly used by the group.

Aiyedatiwa explained that security forces initially came under retaliation when they launched an attack, forcing them to withdraw and conduct further intelligence gathering and mapping before returning for another operation.

He said the United Kingdom’s role included providing intelligence and precision-targeting equipment that was not available to Amotekun, while the local security outfit contributed knowledge of the difficult terrain.

According to him, many Amotekun operatives were recruited from among local hunters who were familiar with the forests.

Aiyedatiwa said Ondo State’s extensive forests, which share boundaries with Kogi, Edo, Ekiti and Oyo states, have increasingly become a corridor for criminals escaping military operations in other areas, particularly the Kogi and Kwara axis.

He said the security situation had evolved significantly from the farmer-herder clashes that initially drew attention to the forests.

According to the governor, the activities had now escalated into terrorism, with the group allegedly linked to the December 31, 2025 attack on the Ipele police station and the 2022 Owo massacre.

Asked whether the group could attempt to disrupt the 2027 general elections, the governor said its broader objective was to cause violence and instability.

He said the group’s agenda, in its totality, was to kill, destroy and disrupt in any form.

Meanwhile, rescue and investigative operations at the aircraft crash site were expected to continue as authorities worked to gain access to the main wreckage and determine what caused the military aircraft to go down.