Burkina Faso has freed Nigerian military personnel who were held after a Nigerian Air Force aircraft made an emergency landing in the country, following diplomatic engagements between both governments.
President Bola Tinubu had dispatched a delegation led by the Minister of Foreign Affairs, Yusuf Tuggar, to engage Burkina Faso’s military leader, Ibrahim Traoré, over the incident. The talks, which held in Ouagadougou on Wednesday, led to what officials described as a mutually acceptable resolution.
According to Alkasim Abdulkadir, spokesperson to the foreign affairs minister, the Nigerian Air Force crew had been detained for nearly two weeks after authorities in Burkina Faso, under the Confederation of Sahel States (AES), characterised the landing as an unfriendly act allegedly contrary to international norms.
The Nigerian Air Force, however, maintained that the aircraft developed a technical fault mid-flight, making a precautionary landing at Bobo-Dioulasso, identified as the closest suitable airfield. The service stressed that the action complied with global aviation safety standards and procedures.
While earlier reports suggested the soldiers had already been released, Abdulkadir clarified that they remained in Burkina Faso until the conclusion of diplomatic efforts, which ultimately secured their freedom.
During the engagement, Tuggar conveyed President Tinubu’s message of goodwill and brotherhood to Traoré. Discussions extended beyond the immediate incident to broader issues of bilateral relations, with both sides exploring avenues to strengthen political, security, and economic cooperation.
The talks also addressed regional security challenges, with emphasis on collaboration through sub-regional mechanisms to tackle shared threats. Both countries agreed to maintain ongoing dialogue and deepen cooperation in pursuit of peace, stability, and integration within the region.
Members of the Nigerian delegation included Mohammed Mohammed, director-general of the National Intelligence Agency; Air Vice Marshal A. Y. Abdullahi, chief of policy and plans at the Nigerian Air Force; Olawale Awe, Nigeria’s permanent representative to ECOWAS; and Wahab Akande, chief of protocol at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
