On Monday, 8 December 2025, a transport aircraft belonging to the Nigerian Air Force (NAF) was forced to land in the Burkinabè city of Bobo‑Dioulasso — and its entire crew and passengers taken into custody by authorities in Confederation of Sahel States (AES) member Burkina Faso, after the aircraft allegedly entered Burkinabè airspace without prior approval.
The C-130 transport plane — carrying two crew members and nine other Nigerian military personnel — was said to have declared an “in-flight emergency,” prompting the unexpected landing. However, a subsequent investigation reportedly confirmed that the flight lacked the required clearance to overfly Burkina Faso.
In a strongly worded statement issued late Monday, AES described the incident as a “violation of its airspace and the sovereignty of its member states.” The bloc said that its air-defence and anti-aircraft systems had been placed on maximum alert, and warned that any future violation could lead to “neutralisation” of offending aircraft.
As of the latest reports, all 11 Nigerian military personnel remain detained in Bobo-Dioulasso, and the seized aircraft is in Burkinabè custody. Neither the Nigerian Air Force nor the Nigerian government has yet issued an official response.
The incident has further strained already tense relations between Nigeria and the AES — a bloc formed earlier this year by Burkina Faso, Mali and Niger after their exit from ECOWAS.
