Burkina Faso has released 11 Nigerian military officers who had been held after their Nigerian Air Force C-130 transport made an unexpected landing in Bobo-Dioulasso on Monday. Officials said the personnel — two crew and nine passengers — were allowed to return to Nigeria after Burkinabè authorities completed preliminary security checks amid suspicions about their involvement in operations related to the recent Benin crisis.
Nigeria’s government said the stop was a technical emergency diversion on a flight bound for Portugal and stressed that its crew were treated cordially. Burkinabè officials, however, maintained the aircraft entered national airspace without prior authorization. Territorial Administration Minister Emile Zerbo said the unplanned arrival triggered an immediate security response from defence and intelligence units.
The incident further strained relations between Nigeria and the three Sahel juntas of Burkina Faso, Mali and Niger, which together form the Alliance of Sahel States (AES). The AES issued a stern joint statement calling the landing a violation of its airspace and sovereignty, labeled it “an unfriendly act,” and said member air forces were put on maximum alert with orders to neutralize any incursions.
Despite strong rhetoric from the AES, Burkinabè security officials told the BBC the officers were questioned, cleared, and released. The Nigerian Air Force reiterated that the diversion followed international aviation safety procedures but did not explicitly confirm whether the officers had been formally detained.
The episode comes amid a wider breakdown in ties: Burkina Faso, Mali and Niger withdrew from ECOWAS earlier this year in part over disputes with Nigeria’s regional role, and have since deepened cooperation within the AES and shifted security partnerships away from some Western countries. In a related move, Niger announced new restrictions requiring all goods from Nigeria to be unloaded and inspected at border entry points, citing security concerns.
