The Federal Government has officially announced the release of a Nigerian Air Force aircraft and the 11 military personnel that were held in Burkina Faso following an emergency landing.
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs confirmed the development late Wednesday, with its spokesperson, Mr Kimiebi Ebienfa, stating, “they have been released.”
This confirmation followed high-level diplomatic engagement earlier in the day, as Nigeria’s Minister of Foreign Affairs, Mr Yusuf Tuggar, held talks with Burkina Faso’s military leader, Mr Ibrahim Traoré, in Ouagadougou.
Speaking at a press briefing, Tuggar explained that the visit was carried out on the directive of President Bola Tinubu and formed part of efforts to resolve the matter through dialogue.
The incident occurred nearly two weeks ago when a Nigerian Air Force C-130 aircraft, conveying 11 soldiers on a ferry mission to Portugal, was forced to land in Bobo Dioulasso.
Earlier, the Nigerian Air Force, through its Director of Public Relations, Mr Ehimen Ejodame, had clarified that the crew detected a technical fault and conducted a precautionary landing at the closest airfield, in accordance with international aviation standards.
However, the situation drew regional attention after Mali’s junta leader, Mr Assimi Goita, speaking for the Confederation of Sahel States, labelled the landing an “unfriendly act carried out in defiance of international law,” cautioning that member countries were empowered to neutralise aircraft that breached their airspace.
