- FG unsure if released NAF aircraft has departed Burkina Faso.
- Fresh technical fault delayed planned flight to Portugal.
- Diplomatic talks ended standoff after over 10 days detention.
The Federal Government has expressed uncertainty over the departure of 11 Nigerian military personnel and a Nigerian Air Force aircraft from Burkina Faso, despite reports suggesting they had proceeded to Portugal.
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EKO HOT BLOG reports that the spokesperson of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Kimiebi Ebienfa, confirmed that although the Burkinabè authorities released both the personnel and the aircraft, it was unclear whether the aircraft had successfully taken off.
Ebienfa explained that the soldiers were scheduled to continue their journey to Portugal after their release, but another technical issue disrupted the planned departure.
According to him, the aircraft developed a fresh fault shortly after clearance was granted, forcing the crew to suspend takeoff procedures.
“I do not know if they have left,” Ebienfa said.
“They were taxing to take off, then they discovered something. They had another technical problem, so they had to stop to fix it.
“So, I am waiting for an update from them. I will confirm that if they have departed. But they are going to Portugal, not Nigeria; that was their original destination.”
The release of the Nigerian personnel and the aircraft followed diplomatic intervention by a high level delegation led by the Minister of Foreign Affairs, Yusuf Tuggar.
The delegation held talks with Burkina Faso’s military leader, Captain Ibrahim Traoré, in Ouagadougou, a meeting that reportedly resolved the standoff.
Both countries were said to have agreed to strengthen bilateral relations and deepen regional cooperation after the engagement.
Members of the Nigerian delegation included the Director General of the National Intelligence Agency, Ambassador Mohammed Mohammed; the Chief of Policy and Plans of the Nigerian Air Force, Air Vice Marshal A. Abdullahi; Nigeria’s Permanent Representative to ECOWAS, Ambassador Olawale Awe; and the Chief of Protocol at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Ambassador Wahab Akande.
The Nigerian soldiers had been held for more than 10 days after their C 130 aircraft made an emergency landing at Bobo Dioulasso while on a ferry mission to Portugal, citing a technical failure.
Burkinabè authorities, however, disputed the explanation, alleging that the aircraft entered their airspace without authorisation.
The incident escalated into a diplomatic dispute involving the Alliance of Sahel States, made up of Burkina Faso, Mali and Niger.
In a statement, the alliance described the landing as an unfriendly act and announced that member states’ air forces had been placed on maximum alert, with approval to neutralise any aircraft found violating the confederation’s airspace.
