The Nigerian Air Force (NAF) C-130 crew, which was earlier detained in Burkina Faso and released on Thursday, has resumed its journey to Portugal with the same aircraft.
The 11-member crew was en route to Portugal for scheduled aircraft maintenance when the aircraft made an emergency landing in Burkina Faso. The precautionary landing occurred in Bobo-Dioulasso on December 8, 2025, following a technical fault.
Spokesperson of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Kimiebi Ebienfa, confirmed to the News Agency of Nigeria that both the aircraft and crew would proceed to Portugal as originally planned. He clarified that the crew would not return to Nigeria before the maintenance exercise.
“They are not coming back to Nigeria. They will proceed to Portugal for the servicing of the aircraft and are expected to depart today,” Ebienfa said.
According to him, the release of the aircraft and personnel was secured through diplomatic efforts by a high-level Nigerian delegation sent to Burkina Faso by President Bola Tinubu. The delegation was led by the Minister of Foreign Affairs, Yusuf Tuggar, and included the Director-General of the National Intelligence Agency, Ambassador Mohammed Mohammed; the Chief of Policy and Plans, Nigerian Air Force, Air Vice Marshal A. Y. Abdullahi; Nigeria’s Permanent Representative to ECOWAS, Ambassador Olawale Awe; and the Chief of Protocol at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Ambassador Wahab Akande.
Burkina Faso had earlier released the NAF aircraft and the 11 personnel on Wednesday.
The aircraft had been on a ferry mission to Portugal when it made a forced landing in Bobo-Dioulasso about two weeks ago due to technical issues. NAF Director of Public Relations, Ehimen Ejodame, said the crew diverted to the nearest airfield in line with international aviation safety standards.
However, Mali’s junta leader, Assimi Goita, speaking on behalf of the Confederation of Sahel States, had described the landing as an “unfriendly act” allegedly carried out in violation of international law. He warned that member states of the Sahel alliance would take action against aircraft deemed to have violated their airspace.
Despite the controversy, the Nigerian government later confirmed the release of the aircraft and crew following a meeting between the Nigerian delegation and Burkina Faso’s junta leader, Ibrahim Traoré, in Ouagadougou.
Confirming the development on Wednesday night, Ebienfa said, “Yes, they have been released.”
