Minister of Foreign Affairs, Yusuf Tuggar, has confirmed that the Nigerian soldiers aboard an aircraft that made a forced landing in Burkina Faso remain in the country.
Tuggar gave the update on Thursday at the ECOWAS Commission in Abuja during a joint press briefing with his Beninese counterpart, Olushegun Bakari.
The incident occurred on Monday when the Confederation of Sahel States (AES)—comprising Burkina Faso, Mali, and Niger—accused an aircraft carrying 11 Nigerian soldiers of violating Burkinabe airspace. Mali’s junta leader, Assimi Goita, condemned the landing as an “unfriendly act” and a breach of international law. AES had also authorised its members to neutralise any aircraft violating their airspace.
The episode coincided with Nigerian air strikes in Benin aimed at helping to thwart a coup attempt, a timing that prompted speculation about a link between both events.
However, the Nigerian Air Force (NAF) clarified that the C-130 aircraft was on a ferry mission to Portugal when the crew detected a technical issue and executed a precautionary landing in Bobo-Dioulasso, the nearest available airfield. NAF spokesperson Ehimen Ejodame said the landing followed standard safety and international aviation protocols.
There were unconfirmed reports that the Nigerian officers were briefly detained before being released.
Tuggar said discussions are ongoing with Burkina Faso’s junta leader, Ibrahim Traoré, to resolve the situation diplomatically.
“We are discussing how we can resolve this delicate matter as quickly as possible,” he said. When asked directly if the soldiers are still in Burkina Faso, he replied, “Yes, they are.”
Bakari also clarified that the aircraft incident had no connection to Nigeria’s support in foiling the attempted coup in Benin—an assertion Tuggar reaffirmed.
“Absolutely, it was on its way to Portugal and it developed a technical problem and was forced to land,” Tuggar said, adding that precautionary landings are standard under ICAO regulations.
“It can happen to anybody. Tomorrow, it can be a Burkinabe plane flying elsewhere and forced to land in Kano, Maiduguri, or any other airport,” he noted.