Nigeria's National Emergency Management Authority (NEMA) on Saturday said a helicopter is believed to have crashed in oil rich Bayelsa State.

National spokesperson for the rescue agency Yushua Shuaib confirmed the incidence to Xinhua.

"We have activated a search party to look for a crashed chopper, " he added.

A Xinhua reporter in the state said the helicopter might be carrying top government officials before it crashed in Nembe, area of Bayelsa State.

Efforts to get aviation authorities to speak on the matter proved abortive as they all refuse to pick their phone calls.