The Federal Government has confirmed the release of the Nigerian Air Force C-130 aircraft and 11 soldiers who were detained in Burkina Faso after a forced landing.
The confirmation came on Wednesday night from the spokesperson of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Kimiebi Ebienfa, who said the aircraft and personnel had been released. He simply stated that they had been freed following diplomatic efforts.
Their release followed a meeting in Ouagadougou between Nigeria’s Minister of Foreign Affairs, Yusuf Tuggar, and Burkina Faso’s junta leader, Ibrahim Traoré. Tuggar, who led a Nigerian delegation, explained that the visit was at the request of President Bola Tinubu to resolve the incident and strengthen relations between both countries.
The incident occurred nearly two weeks earlier when a Nigerian Air Force C-130 transport aircraft, carrying 11 soldiers, made a forced or precautionary landing in Bobo Dioulasso while on a ferry mission to Portugal. The Director of Public Relations of the Nigerian Air Force, Ehimen Ejodame, said the crew noticed a technical issue and landed at the nearest airfield in line with international aviation safety protocols.
However, the landing triggered tensions in the region. Mali’s junta leader, Assimi Goïta, speaking for the Confederation of Sahel States, described the incident as an unfriendly act carried out in defiance of international law and warned that member states were authorised to neutralise aircraft that violated their airspace.
With the release now secured, the brief diplomatic standoff between Nigeria and Burkina Faso over the aircraft and its crew appears to have eased, even as consultations continue on airspace procedures and regional security cooperation.
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