The Federal Government has raised questions about the status of 11 Nigerian soldiers and their aircraft following their release by Burkinabè authorities, casting doubt on reports that they have departed for Portugal.
Ministry of Foreign Affairs spokesperson Kimiebi Ebienfa said while the personnel and C-130 aircraft were released, technical issues delayed their departure. “They were taxing to take off when another technical problem was discovered, so they had to stop to fix it. I am waiting for an update on their departure,” he said, confirming that Portugal remains the intended destination, not Nigeria.
The soldiers were detained for over 10 days after their aircraft made an emergency landing at Bobo-Dioulasso due to a technical fault while on a ferry mission to Portugal. Their release followed a high-level Nigerian delegation led by Foreign Affairs Minister Yusuf Tuggar, who met with Burkina Faso’s military leader, Captain Ibrahim Traoré, in Ouagadougou. The delegation included NIA Director-General Ambassador Mohammed Mohammed, NAF Chief of Policy and Plans Air Vice Marshal A. Abdullahi, Nigeria’s Permanent Representative to ECOWAS Ambassador Olawale Awe, and Ministry of Foreign Affairs Chief of Protocol Ambassador Wahab Akande.
Burkinabè authorities, however, claimed the aircraft violated their airspace without authorisation, prompting a diplomatic dispute with the Alliance of Sahel States (AES), comprising Burkina Faso, Mali, and Niger. AES described the unauthorised landing as unfriendly and placed member states’ air forces on maximum alert, with orders to neutralise any aircraft breaching their airspace.
The situation remains closely monitored as updates on the aircraft’s departure continue to be awaited.
