Another NAF helicopter on Wednesday made an emergency landing in Benue State just two days after the Nigerian Air Force lost 25 personnel in the tragic Ondo aircraft crash. This has raised fresh concerns about aviation safety.

The incident occurred on Wednesday, October 7, in the Ogbadigbo area of Benue State, near the border with Enugu State.

According to eyewitness reports, a resident, Stephen Ikpam, said the aircraft made an emergency landing on a farmland in the Utur Tse-Igboji community, Bar Council Ward, Makurdi, along the Welfare Quarters to Mopol 13 Ring Road, following what he described as a technical fault.

“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,” Ikpam said, noting that residents rushed to the scene and all personnel came out alive.

The Nigerian Air Force later clarified the incident as a precautionary landing.

In a statement, NAF spokesman Air Commodore Ehimen Ejodame said the helicopter was providing close air support to ground troops during an operation targeting suspected kidnappers in Ogbadigbo. He said the operation disrupted the activities of the kidnappers and supported the advance of ground forces.

“After completing the mission, the pilot made a precautionary landing about 10 nautical miles from the airfield while returning to base, in line with established operational and safety procedures,” Ejodame said. He added that the helicopter has since returned to base.

The Benue incident comes two days after the fatal crash of NAF ATR-42 aircraft marked NAF 931 near the Naval Base in Igbokoda, Ondo State, on Monday, October 5. The aircraft was on a routine mission from Benin City to Lagos after being grounded overnight in Benin for reported engine repairs.

The Air Force confirmed 25 persons died – 5 crew members and 20 passengers – with no survivors. President Bola Tinubu declared a three-day national mourning, ordered flags flown at half-mast, and directed a thorough investigation into the crash.

The NAF said it will continue to sustain air operations against criminal elements despite the incidents.