The House of Representatives on Tuesday resolved to engage senior officials from the Ministries of Defence and Foreign Affairs over the ongoing detention of a Nigerian aircraft and its personnel in Burkina Faso.
The decision followed the adoption of a motion of urgent public importance moved by an Ekiti lawmaker, Mr Rufus Ojuawo, who stressed the need for prompt government intervention.
In adopting the motion, the House urged the President Bola Tinubu‑led government to leverage the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) and the African Union (AU) mechanisms to foster cooperation, mutual understanding, and the expedited release of the aircraft and detained military personnel.
The lawmakers also urged the Office of the National Security Adviser to coordinate inter‑agency communication to ensure national security concerns are addressed without escalation.
Additionally, the House called on the Federal Government to provide appropriate factual public briefings to counter misinformation while safeguarding sensitive diplomatic and security processes.
Leading the debate on the motion, Mr Ojuawo said the Nigerian Air Force (NAF) C‑130 aircraft was on a duly authorised ferry flight to Portugal for scheduled periodic depot maintenance, a routine and mandatory lifecycle requirement for military transport aircraft, when it made a precautionary landing in Burkina Faso on December 8, 2025.
Ojuawo emphasised that the flight was properly documented and conducted in compliance with international aviation standards, including provisions for diversion on safety grounds.
“The precautionary landing was made purely on safety considerations and in line with established aviation protocols. The aircraft was neither on an operational mission nor involved in intelligence‑gathering or surveillance activities,” he said.
The House expressed displeasure over the continued detention of Nigeria’s aircraft and the security personnel on board, describing the situation as unacceptable.
Following the adoption of the motion, the House mandated its Committees on Foreign Affairs, Defence, Nigerian Air Force and National Security to interface with the Ministry of Defence and other relevant security and intelligence agencies to address all issues related to the aircraft and its crew.
The committees have been directed to report back to the House within two weeks.