The Federal Government has stepped up diplomatic engagements to secure the release of a Nigerian military aircraft and 11 soldiers currently detained by authorities in Burkina Faso.
Naijaonpoint reports that the personnel and the C-130 aircraft, now in their third day of detention, were apprehended by the Burkinabe military government over alleged unauthorised entry into the country’s airspace.
Military sources on Wednesday confirmed to Punch that the troops and aircraft had not yet been released, adding that the Ministry of Foreign Affairs had assumed responsibility for the matter.
“They have not been released yet. The matter is now being handled by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. We hope they will be released soon with their intervention,” a military source said.
Confirming the ministry’s involvement, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs spokesperson, Kimiebi Ebienfa, said discussions were ongoing between the Nigerian Embassy in Ouagadougou and the host government.
He said, “The Embassy of Nigeria in Ouagadougou is engaging with the host authorities to secure their release.”
Earlier reports on Tuesday by Naijaonpoint indicated that the Government of Burkina Faso claimed a Nigerian Air Force C-130 aircraft carrying 11 soldiers had entered its airspace without clearance and was subsequently forced to land.
The incident was first reported by the state-run Agence d’Information du Burkina, which quoted a statement from the Confederation of Sahel States (AES).
The AES said an investigation revealed “the absence of authorisation to fly over the territory of Burkina Faso for this military device.”
“The AES condemns with the utmost firmness this violation of its airspace and the sovereignty of its member States,” the statement read.
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