- Burkina Faso frees 11 Nigerian officers after emergency landing incident
- AES accuses Nigeria of airspace violation as NAF cites technical fault
- Tensions persist as AES orders heightened air defence alert
Burkina Faso has released the eleven Nigerian military officers detained after their Nigerian Air Force transport aircraft made what authorities described as an unauthorised landing on Monday.
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EKO HOT BLOG reports that according to Business Insider Africa, the officers were cleared to return home after Burkinabè authorities completed preliminary checks amid heightened suspicion linked to Nigeria’s role in the recent coup attempt in Benin. The personnel were aboard a Nigerian Air Force C-130 that diverted to the city of Bobo-Dioulasso.
Burkinabè security officials told the BBC that the officers were questioned briefly and later allowed to depart. The Nigerian Air Force said the aircraft was on a ferry mission to Portugal and was forced to land due to a technical emergency. It maintained that the diversion was consistent with international aviation safety procedures.
However, the Alliance of Sahel States, which includes Burkina Faso, Mali and Niger, issued a more confrontational account. Burkina Faso’s Territorial Administration Minister, Emile Zerbo, said the aircraft violated national procedures by entering the country’s airspace without authorisation.
In a joint statement, the AES described the incident as a violation of its airspace and sovereignty, calling the landing an unfriendly act. The bloc said its suspicion was heightened by Nigeria’s recent military activity in Benin.
While the Nigerian Air Force insisted the crew acted within established safety protocols and noted that the personnel were treated cordially, it did not directly confirm the detention.
Although the officers have now been released, diplomatic tensions remain high. The AES has placed its air and anti-aircraft units on maximum alert and issued directives to neutralise any aircraft that breaches its airspace going forward.
