By The Bureau Journal
The Nigerian Air Force says a helicopter that landed on farmland in Benue State on Wednesday, October 7, has returned to base after completing an operation against suspected kidnappers.
Air Force spokesperson, Air Commodore Ehimen Ejodame, described the landing as a precautionary safety decision taken by the pilot while returning from the mission.
The explanation followed social media reports that the helicopter had made an emergency landing in Makurdi.
Helicopter supported ground troops against suspected kidnappers
According to Ejodame, the aircraft provided close air support to ground forces during an operation in the Ogbadigbo area, near the Enugu–Benue boundary.
He said the operation disrupted the activities of suspected kidnappers and supported the advance of troops on the ground.
The Air Force identified Ogbadigbo as the location of the operation. Eyewitness accounts placed the subsequent farmland landing in Utur Tse-Igboji community, Makurdi.
Pilot landed about 10 nautical miles from airfield
Ejodame said the pilot decided to land after completing the mission.
“Following the successful completion of the mission, the pilot, on return to base, exercised his professional discretion to execute a precautionary landing approximately 10 nautical miles from the airfield.”
The spokesperson said the decision was consistent with established operational and safety procedures following combat missions.
“The helicopter has returned to base,” he added.
The statement did not specify the technical condition or operational concern that prompted the precautionary landing.
Resident gives account of farmland landing
A resident, Stephen Ikpam, had earlier reported that the helicopter landed in Utur Tse-Igboji community, Bar Council Ward, along the Welfare Quarters–Mopol 13 Ring Road in Makurdi.
Ikpam attributed the landing to a technical fault and said residents approached the aircraft to assist those aboard.
He said the occupants emerged safely. His explanation of a technical fault was not independently confirmed in the Air Force statement.
Incident follows fatal Ondo aircraft crash
The Benue landing occurred two days after a separate Nigerian Air Force ATR-42 aircraft, NAF 931, crashed near Igbokoda in Ondo State while travelling from Benin to Lagos.
The Air Force confirmed that the aircraft carried 25 people, comprising five crew members and 20 passengers, and that no survivors had been found.
The Bureau Journal has reported on calls by the Christian Association of Nigeria for a transparent investigation into the Ondo crash.
President Bola Tinubu ordered an investigation into that accident and declared three days of national mourning, with flags flown at half-mast.
The Ondo crash and the Benue precautionary landing are separate incidents. The Air Force says the helicopter involved in Wednesday’s landing has resumed its return to base.
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