NAF Defends Crew After Burkina Faso Detains 11 Nigerian Officers

The Nigerian Air Force (NAF) has reacted to reports that eleven of its personnel were detained in Burkina Faso after a C-130 transport aircraft made an emergency landing in Bobo Dioulasso. NAF clarified that the aircraft diverted as a precautionary measure taken in strict accordance with standard safety and international aviation protocols, adding that all personnel on board were safe and receiving cordial treatment from Burkinabe authorities.

According to NAF, the aircraft was on a ferry mission to Portugal when the crew detected a technical concern shortly after takeoff from Lagos on 8 December 2025. The Director of Public Relations and Information, Air Commodore Ehimen Ejodame, said the crew diverted to the nearest available airfield in line with aviation procedures and that plans were underway to resume the mission once technical assessments were concluded.

However, the Alliance of Sahel States (AES)—the confederation formed by Burkina Faso, Niger, and Mali—issued a counter-statement claiming the aircraft entered Burkinabe airspace without authorisation and was intercepted before being forced to land. The AES confirmed that two crew members and nine military passengers of the Nigerian Armed Forces were taken into custody, asserting that Burkina Faso’s sovereignty had been violated and that a full investigation was underway.

The AES further announced that its member states had placed their air-defence and anti-aircraft systems on maximum alert, warning that any future breach of Sahelian airspace could be met with force. As of press time, the Nigerian government had not released an official response to the detention of its personnel or the seizure of the aircraft, even as tensions between Abuja and the breakaway Sahel bloc continue to rise amid ongoing regional disputes with ECOWAS.