The Nigerian Air Force (NAF) has refuted reports that 11 of its personnel are currently being held by the Burkinabe military regime in Bobo-Dioulasso, southwest Burkina Faso.
It was reported that the Nigerian military officials were captured after their aircraft conducted an emergency landing, alleged to be violating airspace belonging to the Alliance of Sahel States (AES).
AES, made up of Mali, Niger, and Burkina Faso, said in a joint statement that the aircraft carrying the 11 military personnel did not have permission to fly over Burkina Faso.
The allied military-led nations of the Sahel collectively threatened action against violations of their airspace.
“An aircraft belonging to the Air Force of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, type C-130, was forced to land today in Bobo Dioulasso, Burkina Faso, following an in-flight emergency situation while it was operating in Burkinabe airspace,” according to an alliance statement read on state media in the three West African countries.
The statement called the landing an “unfriendly act” and said the countries’ respective air forces had been put on maximum alert and authorised to “neutralise any aircraft” found to violate the confederation’s airspace.
The joint statement did not mention what happened to the 11 military personnel onboard the Nigerian turboprop plane.
The trio of Sahel countries, all under military rule and battling long-running jihadist insurgencies, maintain uneasy relations with their west African neighbours.
In January, they left the regional bloc, Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) after forming their own alliance, AES.
The three states have also distanced themselves from the West, notably from former colonial ruler France, while drawing closer to Russia.
This comes after Nigeria helped Benin Republic quell a coup that sought to remove President Patrice Talon from office, less than five months till the end of his second term.
The putsch which failed saw arrests of over 14 soldiers, while some reportedly remain at large, holding some hostages.
But reacting via a statement on Tuesday, NAF its men are being treated with respect, with the scheduled mission to resume.
“The Nigerian Air Force (NAF) wishes to clarify reports regarding the diversion of a NAF C-130 aircraft during its ferry mission to Portugal on 8 December 2025. Following takeoff from Lagos, the crew observed a technical concern which necessitated a precautionary landing in Bobo-Dioulasso, Burkina Faso, the nearest airfield, in accordance with standard safety procedures and international aviation protocols. NAF crew is safe and have received cordial treatment from the host authorities.
“Plans are ongoing to resume the mission as scheduled. The Nigerian Air Force appreciates the support received during this period and assures the public that NAF remains professionally committed to strict compliance with operational procedures and safety standards, ensuring the protection of its personnel while fulfilling its constitutional mandate,” the statement signed by the Director of Public Relations and Information for the agency, Ehimen Ejodame, said.