Burkina Faso has released the eleven Nigerian military officers who were detained after their Air Force transport aircraft made an ‘unauthorized’ landing in the country on Monday.
According to Business Insider Africa, the personnel were cleared to return home after Burkinabè authorities completed initial checks amid suspicions related to Nigeria’s intervention in the Benin coup attempt.
The personnel were aboard a Nigerian Air Force (NAF) C-130 that landed in the western city of Bobo-Dioulasso. Burkinabè security officials told the BBC that the officers were released after initial questioning and permitted to depart.
While the NAF maintained that the aircraft was en route to Portugal on a ferry mission and was forced to make a “technical emergency landing” due to a fault, the Alliance of Sahel States (AES) – comprising Burkina Faso, Mali, and Niger – offered a contrasting, more aggressive account.
The country’s Territorial Administration Minister, Emile Zerbo, stated the plane violated national procedures by flying into Burkina Faso “without authorisation,” prompting security agencies to intervene.
In a joint statement, the AES condemned the incident as a “violation of its airspace and the sovereignty of its member states.” The bloc labelled the landing an “unfriendly act” and emphasized their deep suspicion over Nigerian military activities following the recent operation in Benin.
However, the Nigerian Air Force insisted the crew followed standard safety procedures and international aviation protocols by diverting to the nearest available airfield. It added that the crew was “safe and has received cordial treatment from the host authorities,” without directly confirming the detention.
Despite the release of the personnel, regional tensions remain extremely high, especially between Nigeria (the regional powerhouse) and the AES breakaway bloc.
The AES placed its air and anti-aircraft defenses on maximum alert, issuing explicit orders to “neutralise any aircraft” that breaches the confederation’s airspace in the future.
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