Burkina Faso’s military government has confirmed the detention of 11 Nigerian military personnel and the seizure of a Nigerian Air Force C-130 Hercules transport aircraft after the plane made an emergency landing in Bobo-Dioulasso on Sunday, December 8, 2025.
In a strongly worded statement released late Monday, the Confederation of Sahel States (AES) comprising Burkina Faso, Mali, and Niger, accused the aircraft of “violating AES airspace” without prior authorization.“
The investigation opened by the competent Burkinabe authorities revealed the absence of authorization for the aircraft to fly over Burkinabe territory,” the AES statement read. It described the incident as “an unfriendly act carried out in disregard of international law and international civil and/or military aviation regulations.”
The bloc condemned the alleged violation and announced that all 11 Nigerian crew members are currently in custody while investigations continue.
The C-130 cargo plane has been impounded.In a significant escalation, the AES declared that air defense and anti-aircraft systems across the three-nation confederation have been placed on maximum alert and granted authorization to “neutralize any aircraft that violates the confederal airspace,” citing a December 22, 2024, directive from the AES College of Heads of State.
The Nigerian Air Force is yet to issue an official response to the incident as of Tuesday morning.
Diplomatic sources in Abuja indicate that Nigeria maintains the flight was a routine logistical mission and that the emergency landing was necessitated by technical issues, not deliberate intrusion.
Tensions between Nigeria and the AES countries have risen sharply since the 2023–2024 military takeovers in Niger, Mali, and Burkina Faso and their subsequent withdrawal from ECOWAS.
The three Sahel nations have since formed a mutual defense pact and repeatedly accused regional powers, including Nigeria, of hostile intent.No timeline has been given for the release of the detained Nigerian personnel or the return of the aircraft.
Click to signup for FREE news updates, latest information and hottest gists everyday
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