A Nigerian Air Force (NAF) helicopter carried out a precautionary landing on a farm in Benue State following a close air support mission assisting ground troops in operations against suspected kidnappers.
Local residents reported seeing the military aircraft land on farmland in the Utur Tse-Igboji area of Makurdi.
According to the NAF, the helicopter participated in a joint operation targeting criminal elements along the Enugu-Benue border in Ogbadigbo Local Government Area.
In an official statement issued on Wednesday, NAF Director of Public Relations and Information Ehimen Ejodame confirmed that the air operation successfully disrupted the suspects’ activities and enabled the advance of ground forces.
Ejodame clarified that although there was no emergency, the helicopter landed as a precaution after finishing its 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 statement reads.
“This is in accordance with established operational and safety procedures following combat missions.
“The helicopter has returned to base.”
The incident occurred just two days after another NAF aircraft crashed in Igbokoda, Ilaje Local Government Area of Ondo State, heightening public concerns over the safety of military aviation operations.
Backstory…
In the early hours of Monday, the ATR-42 aircraft, registered as NGR 931 and carrying 25 passengers and seven crew members, crashed into a marshland near a naval installation.
According to Air Force spokesperson Ehimen Ejodame, Chief of the Air Staff Sunday Aneke described the Ondo crash as “a highly traumatic situation for the Nigerian Air Force and the country.”
The NAF confirmed that no survivors were found at the crash site.
In response to the tragedy, President Bola Tinubu declared three days of national mourning to honor the victims of the crash.
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