The Nigerian Air Force (NAF) has confirmed that one of its helicopters made a precautionary landing in Makurdi, Benue State, after completing an operation targeting suspected kidnappers in the state.
The incident occurred on Wednesday after the helicopter had provided close air support to ground troops operating in the Ogbadigbo area of Benue, close to the boundary with Enugu State.
According to the NAF, the operation disrupted the activities of the suspected kidnappers and supported the movement of surface forces engaged in the security operation.
The helicopter later landed on farmland in the Utur Tse-Igboji community, Bar Council Ward, along the Welfare Quarters to Mopol 13 Ring Road area of Makurdi.
The Air Force described the landing as a precautionary measure rather than a crash. In a statement issued by its Director of Public Relations and Information, Air Commodore Ehimen Ejodame, the NAF said the pilot exercised professional discretion to land approximately 10 nautical miles from the airfield while returning to base.
The decision, according to the military, was consistent with established operational and safety procedures following combat missions.
“The helicopter has returned to base,” the NAF said, indicating that the aircraft was subsequently recovered from the location.
The clarification came after initial reports described the incident as an emergency landing and suggested that the aircraft may have developed a technical problem. Those early accounts were based largely on eyewitness information before the Air Force released its official explanation.
The NAF did not disclose the specific circumstances that led the pilot to make the precautionary landing, nor did it identify the helicopter involved. The official statement instead focused on the successful completion of the preceding security operation and the decision by the pilot to land as a safety measure.
The incident took place at a particularly sensitive time for Nigeria’s military aviation sector. It came only days after an NAF ATR-42 aircraft crashed in Igbokoda, Ondo State, killing all 25 people aboard.
The Ondo aircraft was travelling from Benin City to Lagos when it crashed on October 5. The NAF subsequently confirmed that the victims comprised five crew members and 20 passengers. President Bola Tinubu ordered an investigation into the accident and declared three days of national mourning.
However, there is currently no official evidence connecting the Benue helicopter landing with the Ondo crash, and the two incidents should not be treated as related.
The Benue operation itself highlights the continuing role of air support in Nigeria’s fight against kidnapping and other forms of insecurity. The NAF said its aircraft supported ground troops during the operation against suspected kidnappers in Ogbadigbo, helping to disrupt the criminal group and facilitate the advance of surface forces.
The development also comes as the Nigerian Air Force continues to expand and modernise its helicopter fleet. In September, the service announced the arrival of five new helicopters, including three AW-109 Trekker B aircraft and two H-125 helicopters. The NAF said the new platforms would strengthen capabilities including close air support, intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance, armed escort and combat search and rescue.
For residents around the landing site in Makurdi, the sight of a military helicopter coming down on farmland naturally generated concern, particularly given the recent fatal aircraft accident in Ondo.
The NAF’s clarification, however, establishes that the Benue incident was a precautionary landing following the completion of an operational mission, rather than a confirmed crash. The aircraft has since returned to base, while the Air Force said it would continue supporting ground operations against criminal elements and protecting communities through coordinated air and ground operations.
