Burkina Faso has released 11 Nigerian Air Force personnel who were detained after their aircraft made an emergency landing in the country earlier this month, Nigerian officials confirmed on Thursday. Nigeria’s Foreign Affairs Minister, Yusuf Tuggar, said the release followed high-level diplomatic engagement with Burkina Faso’s military authorities, led by Captain Ibrahim Traoré. The personnel, two flight crew members and nine passengers had been held since 8 December after the military aircraft landed unexpectedly in western Burkina Faso while en route to Portugal for scheduled maintenance.
According to the Nigerian Air Force, the landing was carried out in line with international aviation safety standards. However, the incident triggered heightened security concerns in the region. The Alliance of Sahel States comprising Burkina Faso, Mali and Niger subsequently placed its air and air defense units on maximum alert, warning that any unauthorized aircraft entering its airspace could be intercepted or neutralized. A Nigerian delegation led by Tuggar travelled to Ouagadougou to negotiate the release, which officials described as amicable. “Matters have been resolved and the personnel are no longer detained,” Tuggar’s spokesperson, Alkasim Abdulkadir, said. The aircraft has since been cleared to continue to Portugal for maintenance.
The episode unfolded against strained relations between Nigeria and the Sahel alliance, which split from the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) earlier this year. Tensions have been exacerbated by Nigeria’s role in recent regional security operations, including support for efforts that thwarted a brief coup attempt in neighboring Benin. Despite the friction, officials from Nigeria and Burkina Faso said the incident has opened channels for renewed dialogue, with both sides agreeing to hold regular consultations and explore ways to strengthen bilateral ties and regional cooperation.
