Sri Lanka’s former Ambassador to Nigeria, Kana Kananathan, has conveyed a message of condolence to Nigeria over the crash of a Nigerian Air Force aircraft in Ondo State, which he said claimed the lives of 25 passengers and seven crew.
Kananathan spoke with senior officials of the Nigerian Air Force and sent his condolences to the government and people of Nigeria, the armed forces and the bereaved families, Daily Mirror reported.
“This is a heartbreaking tragedy and a painful moment for Nigeria. I extend my deepest condolences to President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, the Nigerian Air Force and, above all, the families who have lost their loved ones,” he said.
Having served as Sri Lanka’s Ambassador accredited to Nigeria, Kananathan said the country and its people remained close to his heart. “I stand in solidarity with my Nigerian brothers and sisters during this period of national mourning. May the departed souls rest in eternal peace, and may their families find strength and comfort at this difficult time,” he added.
What happened
The aircraft was an ATR-42 on a routine flight from Benin City to Lagos. Air traffic controllers lost contact with it at 09:13 local time, and the wreckage was located near the naval base at Igbokoda in Ondo State, in Nigeria’s south-west, Al Jazeera reported on 5 October. There were 25 passengers and seven crew aboard.
Aviation Minister Festus Keyamo said at the time that “the wreckage has been located and search and rescue operations are ongoing”, and that he had contacted Nigeria’s Chief of Air Staff to offer his ministry’s full cooperation.
No deaths had been officially confirmed when that initial report was filed. Kananathan’s message, carried two days later, refers to the loss of all 32 people aboard.
Kananathan is a former ambassador and was speaking in a personal capacity; the message was not issued by the Sri Lankan government.
Not reported: whether the Sri Lankan government or Foreign Ministry has issued its own statement, and whether any Sri Lankan nationals were aboard.