The Nigerian Air Force has confirmed that one of its helicopters made a precautionary landing on farmland in Makurdi, Benue State, after completing a close air support mission against suspected kidnappers near the Enugu-Benue boundary.
The aircraft landed on Wednesday in the Utur Tse-Igboji community, Bar Council Ward, along the Welfare Quarters–Mopol 13 Ring Road axis of the state capital.
The incident initially generated reports that the helicopter had made an emergency landing, with some eyewitness accounts attributing the incident to a possible technical problem. However, the NAF subsequently clarified that the landing was a precautionary decision made by the pilot after the completion of an operational mission.
In a statement issued by its Director of Public Relations and Information, Air Commodore Ehimen Ejodame, the NAF said the helicopter had provided close air support to surface forces during an operation targeting suspected kidnappers in the Ogbadigbo area of Benue State, close to the Enugu-Benue boundary.
According to the Air Force, the operation disrupted the activities of the suspected criminals and supported the advance of ground troops.
The NAF said that after the mission was completed, the pilot, while returning to base, exercised professional discretion to land approximately 10 nautical miles from the airfield.
The service said the decision was consistent with established operational and safety procedures following combat missions.
The helicopter has since returned to base.
The development comes just two days after another NAF aircraft crashed in the Igbokoda area of Ondo State, killing all 25 people on board.
The Ondo aircraft, an ATR-42 identified as NAF 931, was on a routine mission from Benin City to Lagos when it crashed on Monday. The NAF later confirmed that 20 passengers and five crew members were aboard. There were no survivors.
President Bola Tinubu subsequently declared three days of national mourning following the Ondo tragedy and ordered an investigation into the crash.
The timing of the Benue landing has consequently drawn heightened public attention to military aviation safety, although the two incidents are separate.
The Air Force has not publicly identified the helicopter involved in the Benue landing or disclosed the number of personnel aboard.
For the NAF, the incident also highlights the role of air support in ongoing counter-kidnapping operations across the country.
The service said its continued operations are aimed at denying criminal groups freedom of movement and supporting ground forces working to restore security to affected communities.
The NAF described the successful operation as evidence of its continued resolve to sustain pressure on criminal elements through coordinated air and ground operations.
The helicopter’s safe return to base means the Makurdi incident ended without the loss of life reported in the separate Ondo aircraft disaster, even as attention remains focused on the safety of Nigeria’s military aviation operations.
