Another Nigerian Air Force (NAF) helicopter has made a precautionary landing on a farmland in Makurdi, the Benue State capital, barely two days after a military aircraft crashed in Ondo State, killing all 25 people on board.

The incident occurred on Wednesday night at Utur Tse-Igboji community, Bar Council Ward, along Welfare Quarters to Mopol 13 Ring Road in Makurdi.

The Air Force, however, clarified that the helicopter was returning from an operation against suspected kidnappers along the Enugu-Benue boundary when the pilot decided to make the precautionary landing.

In a statement issued on Wednesday, the Director of Public Relations and Information, NAF, Air Commodore Ehimen Ejodame, said the helicopter had successfully provided close air support to ground troops during an operation targeting suspected kidnappers in the Ogbadigbo area of Benue State.

According to him, the operation disrupted the activities of the suspected criminals and supported the advance of ground forces.

Ejodame explained that after completing the mission, the pilot, while returning to base, exercised professional discretion to land approximately 10 nautical miles from the airfield.

He said the decision was consistent with established operational and safety procedures following combat missions, adding that the helicopter had since returned to base.

The Benue incident comes amid heightened public attention on military aviation safety following Monday's crash involving a NAF ATR-42 aircraft in Igbokoda, Ilaje Local Government Area of Ondo State.

The aircraft was on a routine mission from Benin City to Lagos when it crashed near a naval base.

The Air Force confirmed that all 25 people on board, comprising 20 passengers and five crew members, died in the tragedy.

President Bola Tinubu subsequently declared three days of national mourning over the Ondo crash and directed the Air Force to investigate the circumstances surrounding the disaster.

Although the NAF described the Benue incident as a precautionary landing rather than a crash, its occurrence so soon after the Ondo tragedy is likely to intensify public interest in the safety of military aircraft and ongoing efforts to prevent aviation accidents.

The Air Force reiterated its commitment to sustaining operations against criminal elements and protecting communities through coordinated air and ground operations.