Nigeria military

Burkina Faso authorities have released 11 Nigerian soldiers and a Nigerian Air Force aircraft, ten days after they were detained following an emergency landing in the Sahel nation.

The spokesperson for the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Kimiebi Ebienfa, confirmed the development to The PUNCH on Wednesday night.

“They have been released. I just confirmed with our Head of Mission in Burkina Faso,” Ebienfa said.

However, details regarding the return of the soldiers and the aircraft to Nigeria remain unclear, as travel logistics are yet to be concluded.

The personnel were held by Burkinabe authorities after their Nigerian Air Force C-130 aircraft made an unscheduled landing in Bobo-Dioulasso on December 8, due to a technical fault shortly after taking off from Lagos en route to Portugal.

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Burkina Faso officials initially detained the aircraft and its crew over alleged violations of the country’s airspace, describing the incident as a breach of sovereignty. Probes conducted by the Confederation of Sahel States and Burkinabe authorities reportedly found that the aircraft did not have prior clearance to enter Burkinabe airspace.

After several days of diplomatic discussions, President Bola Tinubu dispatched a Special Envoy to Ouagadougou to engage the Burkinabe government on the matter.

On Tuesday, the Minister of Foreign Affairs, Ambassador Yusuf Tuggar, was also confirmed to be in Ouagadougou as the President’s Special Envoy to facilitate the release of the detained personnel.

Ebienfa said Nigeria’s Chargé d’Affaires in Burkina Faso had been in continuous talks with the host authorities, supported by the high-level intervention approved by the President.

“The Chargé d’Affaires of the Embassy of Nigeria in Burkina Faso has been engaging the host government, and Mr President has also sent a Special Envoy. We are optimistic that the matter will be resolved soonest,” he said earlier.

It was further gathered that after securing approval for their release from Burkina Faso’s military leader, Ibrahim Traoré, Nigeria’s Minister of Foreign Affairs, Yusuf Tuggar, held a meeting with the 11 Nigerian Air Force officers.

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The delegation sent by President Tinubu and the 11 Nigerian Air Force personnel are expected to return to Nigeria today (Thursday).

Recall that the Nigerian Air Force had repeatedly stated that the crew were safe and treated with courtesy during their detention, stressing that the precautionary landing complied with standard safety procedures and international aviation protocols.

The aircraft was said to be on a ferry mission to Portugal when it developed a technical issue shortly after departure, prompting the crew to divert to the nearest available airport.

On Tuesday, the House of Representatives expressed concern over the prolonged detention of the soldiers and called for diplomatic measures to ensure their release.

Why do you think it took several days for the soldiers and the aircraft to be released? Share your thoughts in the comment section below.

A Nigerian delegation led by the Minister of Foreign Affairs, Yusuf Tuggar, has held talks with the President of Burkina Faso, Captain Ibrahim Traore.

In a post shared on Wednesday evening by @afarIssa13 on Twitter, the minister was seen alongside other Nigerian officials during a meeting with the military leader at the presidential palace in Burkina Faso.

The engagement follows the detention of 11 Nigerian military personnel aboard a C-130 aircraft that made an emergency landing in Bobo Dioulasso, located in the south-west of the country.

Burkina Faso’s Minister of Territorial Administration, Emile Zerbo, had alleged that the aircraft breached national regulations by entering the country without prior authorisation.

The Alliance of Sahel States accused Nigeria of violating Burkina Faso’s airspace, stating that the emergency landing in Bobo Dioulasso constituted a breach of the country’s sovereignty.

The Alliance of Sahel States is a breakaway West African regional bloc comprising Burkina Faso, Mali and Niger Republic.

The Nigerian Air Force (NAF), however, rejected the allegation, explaining that the aircraft landed in Burkina Faso on safety grounds and “in accordance with standard safety procedures and international aviation protocols.”

According to the Air Force, the NAF C-130 crew “observed a technical concern which necessitated a precautionary landing in Bobo-Dioulasso, Burkina Faso, the nearest airfield.”

There were earlier unverified claims that Burkinabe authorities had detained the Nigerian military officers before releasing them.

However, Tuggar told The Cable earlier that the Nigerian soldiers who were aboard the aircraft that made a forced landing in Burkina Faso are still being held in the country.

He said discussions are ongoing with the Burkinabe junta leader, Ibrahim Traoré, to address the situation.

“We are discussing how we can resolve this delicate matter as quickly as possible, and we’re talking. So it’s something that is being handled diplomatically,” he said.

When asked whether the soldiers were still in Burkina Faso, Tuggar responded: “Yes, they are.”

Do you think the meeting will result in a diplomatic resolution and the release of the detained soldiers, and what implications could it have for regional stability?

Burkina Faso Frees 11 Nigerian Soldiers, Releases NAF aircraft after Diplomatic Talks

Emergency Landing Crisis: Tuggar Meets Traore