A suspected military helicopter has crashed in Igbokoda, headquarters of Ilaje Local Government Area of Ondo State, with the aircraft reportedly burnt to rubble.
The incident occurred on Monday in a swampy area opposite the Naval Base in the riverine community, according to reports from the area.
The Chairman of Ilaje Local Government Area, Maurice Oripelaye, confirmed the crash in a terse social media post and said military equipment had been found at the scene.
He, however, added that it was not immediately possible to establish how many personnel were aboard the helicopter.
Earlier reports said the aircraft plunged into a river around Larada Street in Igbokoda, while residents reported that security agencies and emergency responders had mobilised to the area to search for possible survivors.
The Nigerian Navy Forward Operating Base in the area was also reported to have joined the rescue operation.
However, the identity of the helicopter and its operator had not been officially disclosed as of the time of filing this report. The cause of the crash also remained unknown.
Reports from the community said the incident caused panic among residents, with people rushing towards the crash site after news of the aircraft going down spread.
The crash comes on the same day security sources reported that a joint operation by the Nigerian Army, Department of State Services and Amotekun had killed a senior ISWAP commander, Abdussamad Ohida, in Owo forest, Ondo State.
The two incidents occurred in different parts of the state, and there is no indication from available reports that they are connected.
As of Monday afternoon, authorities had yet to provide an official account of the helicopter crash, including the number of people aboard, casualties or circumstances surrounding the incident.
