Burkina Faso frees Nigerian air force crew detained after emergency landing

ABUJA, Nigeria — Burkina Faso on Wednesday released 11 Nigerian Air Force personnel who were detained after their aircraft made an emergency landing on Dec. 8, according to Nigeria’s foreign minister. Foreign Affairs Minister Yusuf Tuggar said in a statement posted on X that the release followed sustained dialogue and reaffirmed the effectiveness of diplomacy in addressing sensitive issues. The Burkina Faso authorities, under the country’s military regime led by Ibrahim Traoré, released the personnel after meetings with a Nigerian delegation led by Tuggar, the statement added. The group included two flight crew members and nine passengers, officials said.

“Matters have been resolved, they are no longer detained,” Alkasim Abdulkadir, a spokesperson for Tuggar, told The Associated Press. Nigeria and Burkina Faso also agreed to hold regular consultations and pursue steps to deepen bilateral cooperation and regional integration, Abdulkadir said. The Nigerian Air Force said last week that the aircraft was headed to Portugal for scheduled maintenance when it made the emergency landing in western Burkina Faso. The air force noted that the landing was conducted in accordance with international guidelines and standard safety procedures.

The episode unfolded amid strained relations between the Alliance of Sahel States and Nigeria. The alliance, formed by Burkina Faso, Mali and Niger, had placed its air and anti-air defenses on maximum alert with authorization to neutralize any aircraft that violates the bloc’s airspace, according to a statement attributed to Gen. Assimi Goita, the leader of Mali’s military junta. The Nigerian delegation’s talks occurred as the region navigates security and diplomatic challenges tied to coup-related shocks and counter-military actions across West Africa.

Nigeria’s foreign ministry spokeswoman Kimiebi Ebienfa said the crew would now fly the aircraft to Portugal for the scheduled maintenance. The emergency landing occurred as regional tensions intersected with Nigeria’s intervention role in Benin, where Nigerian forces earlier conducted airstrikes targeting coup plotters in a bid to reverse a short-lived coup in the country. Burkina Faso sits on the northwest border of Benin, while Nigeria lies to Benin’s east, underscoring the cross-border nature of regional instability and cooperation. Nigeria is a member of ECOWAS, the West African regional bloc that Burkina Faso, Mali and Niger left in protest of what they described as sanction-heavy policies and perceived interference in internal affairs.

The Sahel alliance’s decision to pursue bilateral dialogue with Nigeria signals a preference for diplomacy to manage disputes and maintain regional cooperation, even as member states pursue their own security approaches. Officials emphasized that the resolution of the Nigerian air force crew case did not alter the broader regional dynamics or the vigilance of allied security arrangements, but rather showcased the potential for constructive diplomacy to defuse tensions. Nigeria and Burkina Faso indicated continued engagement on defense and security matters, as well as broader bilateral ties, with an eye toward bolstering regional integration and stability in the Sahel.