Burkina Faso has released 11 Nigerian military officers detained after a Nigerian Air Force C-130 aircraft made what authorities described as an unauthorised landing in Bobo-Dioulasso.
The officers two crew members and nine passengers were held for questioning amid suspicions linked to the Benin coup rescue. They were later cleared and allowed to return to Nigeria.
While the Nigerian government said the aircraft made a technical emergency landing while en route to Portugal, Burkinabè officials insisted it entered their airspace without clearance. Territorial Administration Minister Emile Zerbo said the incident triggered an immediate security response.
In a joint statement, the military-led governments of Burkina Faso, Mali and Niger under the Alliance of Sahel States (AES) called the landing a violation of their airspace and an “unfriendly act,” placing their air forces on alert.
The Nigerian Air Force maintained that its crew acted in line with international safety procedures and that its personnel were treated well.
The incident has further strained relations between Nigeria and the AES bloc, which has already withdrawn from ECOWAS amid growing regional tensions.
