Yusuf Tuggar, minister of foreign affairs, says Nigerian
soldiers released by Burkina Faso have arrived at an Air Force base in Accra,
Ghana.
The minister announced the arrival of the soldiers in Accra
in an X post shared on his handle on Friday evening.
“I can confirm that the pilots and crew of NAF C-130 (913)
have safely arrived at the Air Force Base in Accra. The successful outcome
reflects Nigeria’s commitment to diplomacy, regional cooperation, and the
leadership of @NGRPresident Bola Ahmed Tinubu, GCFR @officialABAT , in
resolving sensitive matters through dialogue,” he wrote.
The Burkina Faso junta had detained the soldiers after their
aircraft made a forced landing in the Sahelian country.
The soldiers were released on Wednesday, December 17, after
President Bola Tinubu sent a delegation led by Tuggar to meet with Ibrahim
Traoré, Burkina Faso’s junta leader.
A statement issued by Alkasim Abdulkadir, Tuggar’s
spokesperson, said both sides amicably resolved the issue concerning the
Nigerian Air Force pilots and crew.
The soldiers were detained for nearly two weeks after the
Confederation of Sahel States (AES) described the landing as an “unfriendly act
carried out in defiance of international law”.
But the air force said the crew observed a technical concern
which necessitated a precautionary landing in Bobo-Dioulasso, a city in Burkina
Faso, with the nearest airfield.
NAF said the landing was in accordance with standard safety
procedures and international aviation protocols.
Wednesday’s talks between Nigerian and Burkinabe officials
over the matter were held in Ouagadougou.
Abdulkadir noted that Tuggar delivered a message of
solidarity and fraternity from Tinubu to Traoré, as both sides considered
avenues for deepening bilateral relations and strengthening integration within
the regional bloc.
Abdulkadir said the discussions centred on advancing
political, security, and economic cooperation, with particular emphasis on
coordinated responses to regional security challenges and collective action
through existing sub-regional frameworks.
Advertise on NigerianEye.com to reach thousands of our daily users
No comments
Post a Comment
Kindly drop a comment below.
(Comments are moderated. Clean comments will be approved immediately)
Advert Enquires - Reach out to us at NigerianEye@gmail.com