By Asaye Bankole
A Nigerian Air Force helicopter deployed for a counter-kidnapping operation in Benue State on Wednesday made a precautionary landing on farmland after completing its mission, the military has confirmed.
The helicopter was supporting ground troops conducting an operation against suspected kidnappers in Ogbadigbo Local Government Area, near the Benue-Enugu border.
The aircraft provided close air support that helped ground forces disrupt the activities of the suspected criminals and advance their operation.
NAF spokesman, Air Commodore Ehimen Ejodame, said the pilot decided to land about 10 nautical miles from the airfield while returning to base after the mission.
According to Ejodame, the landing was carried out as a safety measure and was within established operational procedures for aircraft involved in combat missions.
He stressed that the aircraft was not involved in a crash and later returned safely to its base.
Eyewitnesses had earlier reported that the helicopter landed on farmland in the Utur Tse-Igboji community in Makurdi, prompting concern among residents.
The incident occurred just two days after another NAF aircraft was involved in a fatal crash in Ondo State. The ATR-42 aircraft, which was travelling from Benin City to Lagos on a routine mission, crashed into a swamp near a naval base in Igbokoda, Ilaje Local Government Area.
All 25 people on board the Ondo-bound aircraft were killed in the accident. The NAF has since launched an investigation to determine the circumstances that led to the crash, while recovery operations at the site remain ongoing.
The Ondo tragedy also led President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to declare three days of national mourning as the country mourned the victims and authorities began efforts to establish the cause of the accident.
The NAF has assured that the Benue helicopter successfully completed its operational assignment and returned to base safely.
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