The recently forced emergency landing of a Nigerian Air Force C‑130 transport aircraft in Bobo‑Dioulasso, Burkina Faso, has triggered a regional outcry, with the Alliance of Sahel States (AES) accusing Nigeria of violating its airspace.
The aircraft, carrying two crew and nine passengers (all military personnel), was said to have declared an in‑flight emergency before touching down.
Naijaonpoint reports that the AES condemned the landing as “a violation of its airspace and the sovereignty of its member states.”
A security analyst, Brant Philip, in a post on 𝕏 has offered a possible explanation for the incident, arguing the aircraft was merely en route to Senegal and that there was nothing too suspicious about its presence over southwest Burkina Faso.
Philip claimed the flight may have taken a detour due to technical issues.
He said, “I initially guessed the NAF C-130 cargo plane was heading towards Tamale, Ghana, but it turned off its transponder, either intentionally or related to the emergency situation, and went ghost and continued northwest towards Burkina Faso where it was forced to land in an emergency.”
The incident follows Nigeria’s intervention in neighbouring Benin Republic to help quash a recent coup, a move supported by the regional bloc ECOWAS.
As at press time, there has been no official comment from the Nigerian government or the Air Force.
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