Burkina Faso has released 11 Nigerian military personnel who were briefly detained after a Nigerian Air Force cargo aircraft made an emergency landing without prior clearance in the country’s second-largest city, Bobo-Dioulasso.
The aircraft, a C-130 that departed Lagos, was stopped on Monday after entering Burkina Faso’s airspace, a move authorities there described as unauthorised. The Alliance of Sahel States (AES) – the regional bloc formed by Burkina Faso, Mali and Niger after their exit from ECOWAS – labelled the incident an “unfriendly act”.
Burkinabe officials later allowed the two crew members and nine passengers on board to return to Nigeria, the UK Guardian reported. It remains unclear whether the aircraft itself has been released or is still undergoing checks.
Nigeria’s military said the stopover was dictated by safety concerns. In a statement on Tuesday, the Nigerian Air Force said the aircraft made an unscheduled landing “in line with standard safety procedures and international aviation protocols” after a technical issue emerged during a ferry mission to Portugal.
Ehimen Ejodame, spokesperson for the Air Force, did not confirm whether formal authorisation had been sought before the landing but said investigations into the incident were ongoing. He added that the detained personnel were treated courteously by the Burkinabe authorities and that arrangements were being finalised to resume the mission.
Regional Tensions
The episode unfolded against heightened regional tensions. The emergency landing came a day after Nigeria carried out airstrikes in neighbouring Benin following a coup attempt. Nigerian officials said the strikes were conducted after a request from Beninese authorities, in line with ECOWAS security protocols.
According to Abuja, soldiers linked to the attempted overthrow of President Patrice Talon had briefly seized a state broadcaster before being forced to retreat.
Speaking in Abuja on Tuesday, ECOWAS Commission President Omar Touray warned that West Africa was facing a deepening security and democratic crisis.
“Events of the last few weeks have shown the imperative of serious introspection on the future of our democracy and the urgent need to invest in the security of our community,” he said during a meeting of the bloc’s mediation and security council.
Relations between ECOWAS and the AES remain strained. Burkina Faso, Mali and Niger formally withdrew from ECOWAS in January, accusing the bloc of political interference following a wave of military coups. Since then, the three Sahelian states have pivoted away from traditional Western allies and strengthened ties with Russia.
The aircraft incident underscores the fragile security climate in West Africa, where airspace control, military coordination and regional trust are increasingly under strain amid persistent coups, counterterrorism operations and diplomatic rifts.
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