FG Secures Release of Nigerian Air Force Aircraft, 11 Personnel Detained in Burkina Faso

FG Secures Release of Nigerian Air Force Aircraft, 11 Personnel Detained in Burkina Faso

The Federal Government has confirmed the release of a Nigerian Air Force aircraft and its 11 personnel who were detained in Burkina Faso following a forced landing during an international mission.

Confirming the development on Wednesday night, the spokesperson of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Mr Kimiebi Ebienfa, said the aircraft and crew had been released.
“Yes, they have been released,” he stated.

The confirmation followed a diplomatic engagement in Ouagadougou, where the Minister of Foreign Affairs, Mr Yusuf Tuggar, met with Burkina Faso’s junta leader, Captain Ibrahim Traoré. Tuggar led a Nigerian delegation to the meeting, which he said was undertaken at the directive of President Bola Tinubu.

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The incident occurred nearly two weeks ago when a Nigerian Air Force C-130 aircraft, carrying 11 personnel, made a forced landing in Bobo Dioulasso while on a ferry mission to Portugal.

Earlier, the Director of Public Relations of the Nigerian Air Force, Mr Ehimen Ejodame, explained that the aircraft developed a technical fault, prompting the crew to conduct a precautionary landing at the nearest airfield in line with international aviation safety protocols.

However, the situation escalated after Mali’s junta leader, Colonel Assimi Goïta, speaking on behalf of the Confederation of Sahel States, described the landing as an “unfriendly act” allegedly carried out in violation of international law. He warned that member states were authorised to neutralise foreign aircraft deemed to have violated their airspace.

The successful release of the aircraft and personnel underscores Nigeria’s use of diplomatic channels to resolve the standoff amid heightened regional tensions in the Sahel.

FG Secures Release of Nigerian Air Force Aircraft, 11 Personnel Detained in Burkina Faso