Burkina Faso has released the 11 Nigerian military officers held after a Nigerian Air Force C-130 aircraft made an unscheduled landing at the Bobo-Dioulasso airfield. Authorities in Ouagadougou had initially described the landing as unauthorised.
The personnel, made up of two crew members and nine passengers, were detained for questioning following concerns that the flight might be linked to the recent failed coup in Benin Republic. They have now been cleared of any wrongdoing and have safely returned to Nigeria.
Nigeria maintained that the aircraft carried out a technical emergency landing while en route to Portugal. Burkinabe officials, however, said the plane entered the country’s airspace without prior approval, prompting a swift security response.
Burkina Faso’s Minister of Territorial Administration, Emile Zerbo, said the government acted strictly in line with national security rules.
In a joint statement, the military governments of Burkina Faso, Mali and Niger, members of the Alliance of Sahel States (AES), described the incident as a breach of sovereign airspace and an “unfriendly act.” The bloc added that their air forces were placed on high alert during the episode.
The Nigerian Air Force said its crew complied with international aviation safety procedures and noted that the detained personnel were treated with respect.
The development introduces fresh strain to the already delicate relationship between Nigeria and the AES, which recently announced its withdrawal from ECOWAS.
