Eleven Nigerian military personnel who were detained in Burkina Faso have been released after spending ten days in custody, Nigerian authorities have confirmed.
- The spokesperson for Nigeria’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Kimiebi Ebienfa, disclosed the development on Wednesday, confirmation had been received from Nigeria’s diplomatic mission in Burkina Faso.
“The soldiers have been released. I have just confirmed this with our Head of Mission in Burkina Faso,” Ebienfa stated.
However, details regarding the soldiers’ return to Nigeria remain unclear, as their travel arrangements could not be immediately confirmed.
The soldiers were detained on December 8 after the aircraft conveying them made an unscheduled landing in Bobo-Dioulasso, Burkina Faso’s second-largest city. The flight, which had departed Lagos en route to Portugal, reportedly experienced a technical fault shortly after take-off, necessitating the precautionary landing.
Burkina Faso’s military authorities subsequently detained both the personnel and the aircraft, citing alleged violations of national airspace. Officials in Ouagadougou described the incident as a breach of Burkina Faso’s sovereignty, prompting investigations by Burkinabe authorities and the Confederation of Sahel States.
According to reports, the investigations concluded that the aircraft had entered Burkinabe airspace without prior authorisation, a finding that contributed to the decision to detain the soldiers.
Following days of diplomatic engagements, President Bola Ahmed Tinubu intervened by dispatching a special envoy to Ouagadougou to hold high-level discussions with Burkinabe officials, a move that appears to have paved the way for the soldiers’ release.
Throughout the period of detention, the Nigerian Air Force (NAF) reassured the public that the personnel were safe and treated with courtesy by the Burkinabe authorities. The Air Force also reiterated that the emergency landing was carried out strictly in line with international aviation safety standards and established operational protocols.
The release of the soldiers marks the end of a tense diplomatic episode, with expectations that further engagements will help prevent similar incidents in the future.
