The NAF said the operation disrupted the activities of the suspected kidnappers and supported the advance of surface forces near the Enugu–Benue boundary.
A military helicopter made a precautionary landing in Makurdi, Benue State, on Wednesday after providing close air support to ground troops during an operation targeting suspected kidnappers in the Ogbadigbo area of the state, according to the Nigerian Air Force (NAF).
The NAF said the operation disrupted the activities of the suspected kidnappers and supported the advance of surface forces near the Enugu–Benue boundary.
The clarification followed reports by residents that a Nigerian Air Force helicopter had made an emergency landing in the Tse-Igboji area of Makurdi, with some residents initially attributing the incident to a technical fault.
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In a statement issued on Wednesday, October 7, 2026, the NAF Director of Public Relations and Information, Air Commodore Ehimen Ejodame, said the helicopter landed about 10 nautical miles from the airfield after completing 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,” Ejodame said.
He explained that the landing was carried out in accordance with established operational and safety procedures following combat missions.
“The helicopter has returned to base,” he added.
Earlier, a resident, Stephen Ikpam, had said the helicopter landed on a farmland in his community of Utur Tse-Igboji, Bar Council Ward, along the Welfare Quarters–Mopol 13 Ring Road in Makurdi.
Ikpam said residents rushed to the scene after noticing the aircraft and were relieved to find that all personnel on board had survived.
“By the grace of God, all lives on board were saved when a Nigerian Air Force helicopter made an emergency landing on our farmland due to a technical fault,” he said.
“We all rushed to the scene to support the officers on board, and to the glory of God, they all came out alive. It would have been a double tragedy if the helicopter had crashed.”
Another resident, Orvendega Job, also posted on Facebook that the aircraft had landed in the Tsekpam/Tse-Igboji area of Bar Council Ward.
Job claimed the helicopter was carrying two pilots and was on patrol when the pilots detected an engine fault and turned back.
According to him, the pilots later realised that they could not safely return to base and decided to land on farmland in the community.
Job also claimed that members of the community were prevented from taking photographs or making videos of the incident.
However, the NAF’s statement did not confirm an emergency landing or an aircraft crash. Instead, it described the incident as a precautionary landing following the completion of an operational mission.
The Air Force said its air support operation was aimed at helping ground forces disrupt criminal activities in the Ogbadigbo area.
“The NAF remains committed to sustaining pressure on criminal elements, providing close air support to surface forces and protecting communities through coordinated air and ground operations,” the statement said.
The incident comes two days after a military aircraft crashed in Igbokoda, the headquarters of Ilaje Local Government Area of Ondo State, killing all 25 people on board, comprising 20 passengers and five crew members.
The Ondo crash prompted heightened public attention to military aviation incidents, particularly involving aircraft deployed for security operations.