Nigeria’s Minister of Foreign Affairs, Yusuf Tuggar, has confirmed that the Nigerian soldiers aboard a military aircraft that made a forced landing in Burkina Faso remain in the country as diplomatic discussions continue.
Tuggar revealed this on Thursday at the ECOWAS Commission headquarters in Abuja during a joint press briefing with his Beninese counterpart, Olushegun Bakari.
The tension began on Monday when the Confederation of Sahel States (AES)—the alliance of Burkina Faso, Mali, and Niger—accused a Nigerian Air Force (NAF) C-130 aircraft carrying 11 soldiers of illegally entering Burkinabe airspace. Mali’s junta leader, Assimi Goita, condemned the incident as “an unfriendly act in defiance of international law,” while the AES warned that it had authorised its member states to neutralise any aircraft that violated their airspace.
The development unfolded just as Nigerian troops were carrying out air strikes in Benin to help frustrate a coup attempt in the neighbouring country, fuelling further speculation about the motive behind the flight.
Asked whether the soldiers were still being held in Burkina Faso, Tuggar confirmed: “Yes, they are,” but stressed that the matter was being handled through diplomatic channels. He added that discussions with Burkina Faso’s junta leader, Ibrahim Traoré, were ongoing and that both sides were working toward a swift resolution.
Meanwhile, the Nigerian Air Force has maintained that the aircraft was on a ferry mission to Portugal when the crew detected a technical fault, prompting a precautionary landing in Bobo-Dioulasso, Burkina Faso—an action consistent with international aviation protocol. NAF spokesperson Ehimen Ejodame reaffirmed that the landing complied with global safety standards.
Beninese Foreign Minister Bakari also clarified that the incident had no link to Nigeria’s involvement in quelling the attempted coup in Benin.
Tuggar expressed optimism that the issue would be resolved soon as diplomatic engagement continues.
