Authorities in Burkina Faso have freed 11 Nigerian soldiers along with a Nigerian Air Force aircraft, ten days after they were taken into custody following an emergency landing in the West African nation.
The development was confirmed on Wednesday night by the spokesperson of Nigeria’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Kimiebi Ebienfa, who told The PUNCH that the release had been verified through Nigeria’s diplomatic mission in Burkina Faso.
“They have been released. I have just confirmed this with our Head of Mission in Burkina Faso,” Ebienfa stated.
Details regarding when the military personnel and the aircraft will return to Nigeria are yet to be confirmed, as final travel arrangements are still being worked out.
The soldiers were detained after a Nigerian Air Force C-130 aircraft made an unplanned landing in Bobo-Dioulasso on December 8. The aircraft had developed a technical fault shortly after taking off from Lagos on a flight bound for Portugal.
Burkinabe authorities initially seized the aircraft and its crew, citing alleged violations of their airspace and describing the incident as a breach of national sovereignty. Subsequent investigations by officials of the Confederation of Sahel States and Burkina Faso reportedly found that the aircraft did not obtain prior clearance to enter Burkinabe airspace.
In response, diplomatic efforts were intensified, with President Bola Tinubu sending a Special Envoy to Ouagadougou to engage directly with Burkina Faso’s leadership. The Minister of Foreign Affairs, Ambassador Yusuf Tuggar, was later confirmed to be in the Burkinabe capital as the President’s representative to secure the release of the detained personnel.
Ebienfa explained that Nigeria’s Chargé d’Affaires in Burkina Faso had been in continuous discussions with the host government, supported by the high-level intervention approved by President Tinubu.
“The Chargé d’Affaires has been engaging the host authorities, and Mr President h
as also sent a Special Envoy. We were optimistic that the issue would be resolved soon,” he had earlier said.
Reports also indicate that after approval was granted by Burkina Faso’s military leader, Ibrahim Traoré, Foreign Affairs Minister Yusuf Tuggar met with the 11 Nigerian Air Force personnel.
Both the presidential delegation and the released Air Force personnel are expected to return to Nigeria on Thursday.
Throughout the detention period, the Nigerian Air Force maintained that the crew was safe and treated with respect, stressing that the emergency landing was carried out in line with international aviation safety standards. The aircraft was said to be on a routine ferry mission when a technical problem forced the crew to divert to the nearest available airfield.
Meanwhile, the House of Representatives had earlier expressed concern over the prolonged detention and called for urgent diplomatic action to resolve the matter.
