.As Army converts Old Oyo National Park to training ground
Joseph Okwuofu, Ibadan and Agency reporter
The Nigerian Air Force has explained that a military helicopter landed in a Benue farmland after completing an operation against suspected kidnappers.
The incident occurred on Wednesday, October 7, in the Ogbadigbo area of Benue State, close to the Enugu–Benue boundary, according to the Nigerian Air Force.
The NA, in a statement issued by the Director of Public Relations and Information at NAF Headquarters, Air Commodore Ehimen Ejodame, said the aircraft had provided close air support to surface forces during an operation targeting suspected kidnappers in the area.
The military said the operation disrupted the activities of the suspected criminals and supported the advance of ground forces.
The statement was issued after reports circulated on social media that a Nigerian Air Force helicopter had made an emergency landing in a farmland in Makurdi.
According to the NAF, the landing was a precautionary measure carried out by the pilot after the completion of the combat 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.
The Air Force explained that the decision was consistent with established operational and safety procedures following combat missions.
It also confirmed that the helicopter was not stranded at the location, saying it had subsequently returned to base.
“The helicopter has returned to base,” the NAF stated.
Earlier, a resident, Stephen Ikpam, had claimed that the aircraft made an emergency landing in the Utur Tse-Igboji community, Bar Council Ward, Makurdi, along the Welfare Quarters to Mopol 13 Ring Road.
Ikpam, who said he was reporting from the scene, claimed the helicopter landed on a farmland following what he described as a technical fault.
He said residents rushed to the scene after the incident and assisted the officers on board.
“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.
Ikpam added that the officers emerged safely from the aircraft, describing the incident as one that could have resulted in a tragedy.
“We all rushed to the scene to support the officers on board, and to the glory of God, they all came out alive,” he said.
The Benue incident comes days after another Nigerian Air Force aircraft was involved in a fatal crash in Ondo State, leading to the death of military personnel and a three-day national mourning period declared by President Bola Tinubu.
The Nigerian Air Force ATR-42 aircraft crashed near a naval base in the Igbokoda area of Ondo State on Monday while reportedly travelling from Benin to Lagos on a routine mission.
The aircraft had 25 passengers including seven crew members on board.
Following the crash, President Tinubu directed the Nigerian Air Force to immediately commence a thorough investigation into the cause of the accident.
“This is a painful moment for our Armed Forces and for the entire nation. Our Air Force personnel put their lives on the line every day to secure Nigeria. Their sacrifice will never be forgotten,” Tinubu said.
The President also directed that national flags be flown at half-mast across the country in honour of the personnel who died in the crash.
Meanwhile, the General Officer Commanding (GOC), 2 Division Nigerian Army, Maj-General Auwalu Mahmuda, has explained why the Chief of Army Staff, Lt. General Waidi Shuaibu ordered military to take over the old Oyo National Park.
This is just as he noted that misinformation and fake news cannot be effectively tackled without a strong partnership between the media and the military.
Mahmuda stated this while playing host to the executive and members of the Correspondents’ Chapel of the Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ), Oyo State Council at the Division’s Headquarters in Odogbo, Ibadan.
He said the 2 Division was given the order to use the Park as a training ground by the Chief of Army Staff, Lt. General Waidi Shuaibu.
According to him, the order came after the rescue of the victims of Oriire kidnap, stating that by taking it over the Park has become a no go area for kidnappers and other men of the underworld using the large forest for the base of their nefarious activities.
He said, “On the order of the Chief of Army Staff, Lt. General Waidi Shuaibu, the 2 Division has taken over the entire stretch of the Old Oyo National Park as a training site in order to prevent the repeat of the Oriire kidnap saga. With the 2 Division fully utilising the Park, it will be a herculean task for men of the underworld to use it as their hideout.
Mahmuda urged journalists to always verify information with the military before making it available to the public, warning that unverified information can cause irreparable damage and more harm than good.
He reassured the press that the Nigerian Army views them as vital partners in national development, highlighting the dangerous situations journalists brave to provide accurate information to the public.
The GOC promised the Oyo State Correspondents’ Chapel of military support in areas, such as training and medical outreach, especially ahead of their upcoming Press Week.
The GOC maintained that misinformation and fake news can only be reduced or eliminated when the media work together with the military and verify information they received before publishing or broadcasting it.
“I will appeal to you to avoid publishing information without first confirming its exact and true nature with the military. Sometimes, when unverified information is released, it can cause more harm than the information it intended to address,”he said.
Mahmuda lamented that some journalists failed to verify information at their disposal before publishing them, adding that misinformation spread faster than expected and cause irreparable damage.
“I want to reassure you that the Nigerian Army sees journalists as partners, but they are also expected to play their part in demonstrating clearly that they are partners of the Nigerian Army,” he said.
Mahmuda, however, commended members of the Correspondents’ Chapel of the NUJ, for highlighting the Division’s activities and contributions to national development.
“We are all Nigerians, irrespective of the fact that some of us wear uniforms. I believe that, whatever we are doing, we are all working towards the success and development of this country,”he said.
The GOC appealed for stronger collaboration in enlightening the public on the efforts of the Nigerian Army and other security agencies in tackling insecurity in the country.
“I have seen journalists go to places where other civilians dare to set their foot. They put themselves in difficult and dangerous situations simply to obtain accurate information that can be shared with the public,”he said.
The Chairman of the chapel, Mr. Yinka Adeniran, commended the 2 Division for its relentless efforts in maintaining security, specifically highlighting the successful rescue of the Oriire kidnap victims.
He then appealed for support of the Division on the forthcoming Press Week of the chapel in areas of lecture and health outreach for members, among others.
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