Burkina Faso Frees 11 Nigerian Officers After Aircraft Incident

(AFRICAN EXAMINER) = Burkina Faso has released 11 Nigerian military personnel detained after a Nigerian Air Force C-130 aircraft made an unscheduled landing at the Bobo-Dioulasso airfield, an action the authorities in Ouagadougou initially described as unauthorised.

The group, comprising two crew members and nine passengers, was held for questioning amid suspicions that the flight could be linked to the recent failed coup attempt in the Republic of Benin. After investigations, the Burkinabe authorities cleared the personnel of any wrongdoing and allowed them to return safely to Nigeria.

Nigerian authorities maintained that the aircraft was forced to make an emergency landing due to technical issues while en route to Portugal. However, Burkinabe officials insisted the plane entered their airspace without prior clearance, prompting an immediate security response.

Burkina Faso’s Minister of Territorial Administration, Emile Zerbo, said the action taken by security agencies was in line with national security procedures.

In a joint statement, the military governments of Burkina Faso, Mali, and Niger, operating under the Alliance of Sahel States (AES), described the incident as a violation of sovereign airspace, calling it an “unfriendly act.” The bloc added that the situation placed their air forces on heightened alert.

The Nigerian Air Force, however, stressed that its crew complied with international aviation safety standards and noted that its personnel were treated with respect during their detention.

The incident further highlights growing diplomatic and security tensions between Nigeria and the AES countries, which recently announced their withdrawal from the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS).

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