NAF Helicopter Makes Emergency Landing On Farmland 2 Days After Ondo Plane Crash
- The Nigerian Air Force confirmed that one of its helicopters landed on farmland in Benue's Utur Tse-Igboji community after a combat operation
- NAF spokesperson Ehimen Ejodame said the pilot acted on professional discretion, landing about 10 nautical miles from the airfield
- The Benue incident came just two days after a NAF aircraft crashed in Ondo state with 32 people on board, killing everyone
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Legit.ng journalist Adekunle Dada has over eight years of experience covering metro, government policy, and international issues
Benue State - The Nigerian Air Force (NAF) has confirmed that one of its helicopters made an unscheduled landing on farmland in the Utur Tse-Igboji community in Makurdi, Benue State, following a combat mission against suspected kidnappers.
The NAF Director of Public Relations and Information, Ehimen Ejodame, said the helicopter had been providing close air support to ground troops during an operation.
Source: Getty Images
He explained that the military operation was targeting criminal suspects in Ogbadigbo Local Government Area, near the Enugu-Benue boundary.
As reported by TheCable, Ejodame disclosed this in a statement on Wednesday, October 7, 2026.
Ejodame said the mission successfully disrupted the kidnappers' activities and helped advance the movement of ground forces in the area.
Why the NAF pilot landed the helicopter
According to the statement, the landing was a deliberate safety decision made by the pilot, not a crash or mechanical failure.
"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 added that the decision was "in accordance with established operational and safety procedures following combat missions," and confirmed that the helicopter had since returned to base.
Eyewitnesses who saw the aircraft land described it as touching down on a stretch of farmland within the community.
Landing follows fatal NAF crash in Ondo
The Benue incident happened just two days after a separate NAF aircraft, an ATR-42 with tail number NGR 931, crashed into a swamp near a naval base in the early hours of Monday, carrying 25 passengers and seven crew members.
In a statement on Tuesday, Ejodame said Chief of Air Staff Sunday Aneke described the Ondo crash as "a deeply painful moment for the air force and nation." No survivors have been found following the crash.
President Bola Tinubu subsequently declared three days of national mourning in response to the tragedy.
Source: Original
NAF releases names of 25 victims in Ondo plane crash
Meanwhile, Legit.ng reported that NAF confirmed that all 25 people on board NAF 931, including five crew members, died after the aircraft went down in Ondo State.
The ATR 42 aircraft was on a routine mission from Benin to Lagos when it crashed in the Igbokoda area.
Chief of the Air Staff Air Marshal Sunday Kelvin Aneke ordered a full investigation and opened a condolence register at NAF Headquarters in Abuja.
Source: Legit.ng
