Burkina Faso has reportedly released 11 Nigerian Air Force officers and allowed their C-130 aircraft to depart Bobo-Dioulasso on Wednesday, December 10, ending a brief but tense diplomatic crisis that began with an emergency landing on December 8.
The Nigerian military insisted the diversion was a precautionary safety measure due to a detected technical fault during a routine ferry flight from Lagos to Portugal, with all personnel treated cordially throughout.
However, Burkina Faso’s junta initially labelled it an unauthorised airspace violation and an “unfriendly act,” prompting the Alliance of Sahel States (AES) – including Mali and Niger – to heighten air defences and authorise neutralising future intrusions.
The swift resolution followed intense behind-the-scenes diplomacy, averting escalation just days after Nigeria’s role in thwarting a coup in Benin, which AES viewed as provocative.
Sources indicate a last-minute counter-order from Burkinabé authorities delayed takeoff after initial clearance, but the crew – two pilots and nine passengers – are now en route home.
However, the Nigerian Armed Forces are yet to confirm the development.