A Nigerian Air Force (NAF) helicopter on Wednesday made a precautionary landing in Benue State after completing a close-air-support mission against suspected kidnappers, the Air Force has said.
The incident occurred during an operation in Ogbadigbo Local Government Area, near the Enugu-Benue boundary, where the aircraft supported ground troops in disrupting the activities of suspected criminal elements.
NAF Director of Public Relations and Information, Air Commodore Ehimen Ejodame, confirmed the incident in a statement, describing the landing as a precautionary measure taken by the pilot in accordance with established operational and safety procedures.
Ejodame said the pilot exercised professional discretion to land approximately 10 nautical miles from the airfield after successfully completing the 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 said.
He added that the decision was consistent with established safety procedures following combat missions and confirmed that the helicopter had subsequently returned to base.
The operation, according to the NAF spokesman, helped disrupt the activities of the suspected kidnappers and supported the advance of ground forces operating in the area.
Reports from the area indicated that the helicopter touched down on farmland around Utur Tse-Igboji community in Makurdi. However, the NAF did not disclose further details about the circumstances surrounding the landing.
The incident comes two days after an NAF ATR-42 aircraft crashed in Igbokoda, Ilaje Local Government Area of Ondo State.
The aircraft, with registration number NGR 931, reportedly went down in a swamp opposite a naval base in the early hours of Monday while carrying 25 passengers and seven crew members.
The NAF subsequently confirmed the crash, while Chief of the Air Staff, Air Marshal Sunday Aneke, described the tragedy as a painful moment for the service and the nation.
President Bola Tinubu declared three days of national mourning following the Ondo crash.
The latest Benue incident, however, involved a different aircraft and, according to the NAF, resulted in no casualties, with the helicopter safely returning to base after the precautionary landing.
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