Reported by: Ijeoma G | Edited by: Oravbiere Osayomore Promise.
The Nigerian Air Force has clarified that a military helicopter made a precautionary landing on farmland in Benue State after completing an operation targeting suspected kidnappers.
The incident occurred on Wednesday, October 7, 2026, following an air operation in the Ogbadigbo area of Benue State, near the Enugu-Benue boundary.
According to the NAF, the helicopter provided close air support to ground forces during the operation, helping to disrupt the activities of suspected criminals and support the advance of surface troops.
The clarification followed reports circulating on social media that the aircraft had made an emergency landing in a farmland in Makurdi.
However, Air Commodore Ehimen Ejodame, Director of Public Relations and Information at NAF Headquarters, said the pilot deliberately opted for a precautionary landing while returning to base.
Ejodame said the pilot exercised professional discretion to land approximately 10 nautical miles from the airfield in line with established operational and safety procedures following combat missions.
The NAF stressed that the helicopter was not stranded and later returned safely to base.
Earlier, a resident, Stephen Ikpam, had said the aircraft landed in the Utur Tse-Igboji community, Bar Council Ward, in Makurdi, and claimed that residents rushed to the scene to assist the personnel on board.
Ikpam had attributed the landing to a possible technical fault and said everyone on board survived. However, the NAF's subsequent explanation described the landing as precautionary rather than an emergency landing caused by a confirmed technical fault.
The incident occurred just two days after a separate Nigerian Air Force ATR-42 aircraft crashed near a naval base in Igbokoda, Ondo State.
The Ondo aircraft was carrying 25 passengers and seven crew members when it crashed during a routine mission from Benin to Lagos. President Bola Tinubu subsequently declared three days of national mourning and ordered a thorough investigation into the crash.
The NAF has continued to describe the Benue operation as part of its efforts to provide air support to ground forces and maintain pressure on criminal elements operating in the area.
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