Nigeria’s Minister of Foreign Affairs, Yusuf Tuggar, has confirmed that the Nigerian soldiers aboard the C-130 aircraft that made an emergency landing in Burkina Faso are still in the country.
Tuggar disclosed this on Thursday during a joint press briefing at the ECOWAS Commission headquarters in Abuja, where he appeared alongside Benin Republic’s Foreign Minister, Olushegun Adjadi Bakari.
The Nigerian Air Force had earlier explained that the aircraft was en route to Portugal on a ferry flight when it developed a technical fault, forcing the pilots to land in Bobo-Dioulasso, Burkina Faso, in line with aviation safety procedures.
According to NAF spokesperson Air Commodore Ehimen Ejodame, the landing was strictly a precautionary measure and followed global aviation standards.
However, the Confederation of Sahel States (AES)—comprising Burkina Faso, Mali, and Niger—accused Nigeria of breaching Burkinabe airspace, describing the unscheduled landing as a hostile act that violated international norms. The bloc even authorised its member states to neutralise any aircraft entering their airspace without approval.
Addressing journalists, Minister Tuggar confirmed that the soldiers remain in Burkina Faso.
“Yes, they are. We are working to resolve this sensitive issue as quickly as possible. Discussions are ongoing, and it is being handled through diplomatic channels,” he said.
He reiterated that the aircraft was simply heading to Portugal when it encountered a technical issue, stressing that international aviation laws require pilots to land at the closest airport during emergencies.
He added that such incidents can occur with any nation’s aircraft:
“Tomorrow, it could be a Burkinabe plane flying to another country and forced to land in Kano or Maiduguri. These situations happen everywhere.”
Benin’s Foreign Minister, Olushegun Bakari, also clarified that the Nigerian Air Force aircraft incident had no link to Nigeria’s role in helping foil a recent coup attempt in Benin Republic — a clarification Tuggar supported.
