Burkina Faso Frees 11 Nigerian Air Force Personnel, Aircraft After 9-Day Detention

After nine days, Burkina Faso has released a Nigerian Air Force (NAF) aircraft along with 11 pilots and crew members following high-level diplomatic talks led by Nigeria’s Minister of Foreign Affairs, Ambassador Yusuf Tuggar, in Ouagadougou.

The breakthrough followed a Nigerian delegation’s engagement with Burkina Faso’s military leadership, including junta leader President Ibrahim Traoré.

The delegation, mandated by President Bola Tinubu, comprised senior officials from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the Ministry of Defence and NAF Headquarters, and pursued what officials described as a peaceful, dialogue-driven resolution.

According to security analyst Zagazola Makama, who cited a senior official familiar with the mission, discussions centred on de-escalation, confidence-building and the release of the detained personnel, while reaffirming Nigeria’s commitment to international aviation rules, military protocols and regional cooperation.

The visit, the official said, shows Nigeria’s preference for diplomacy and its desire to strengthen trust in addressing the Sahel’s complex security challenges.

The incident occurred after a Nigerian Air Force C-130 aircraft made an emergency landing in Bobo-Dioulasso. Burkinabè authorities initially described the landing as a violation of sovereignty, citing a lack of prior airspace clearance, and detained the 11 military personnel on board.

The Nigerian Air Force maintained that the landing was a precautionary safety measure prompted by a technical issue and carried out in line with standard procedures and international aviation protocols.

Speaking after the talks, Tuggar said Nigeria and Burkina Faso shared longstanding ties and common security concerns, stressing that the engagement was aimed at reinforcing mutual understanding and good-neighbour relations.

“We exchanged views on cooperation in several sectors. We also discussed the Nigerian aircraft that made an emergency landing in Burkina Faso,” the minister said.

Tuggar acknowledged procedural irregularities in the aircraft’s authorisation process and expressed Nigeria’s regret over the incident, while emphasising Nigeria’s respect for Burkina Faso’s sovereignty and international aviation norms.

He also distanced the Federal Government from comments by a Nigerian political party official alleging maltreatment of the detained personnel.

“We clearly dissociate ourselves from those comments and express our sincere regrets to the government of Burkina Faso,” he said.

This came against a backdrop of coups, political instability and the withdrawal of Burkina Faso, Mali and Niger from the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) to form the Alliance of Sahel States (AES).

These have strained relations with countries, including Nigeria, that remain within the bloc.