Eleven Nigerian soldiers detained in Burkina Faso have been freed after spending 10 days in custody following an unscheduled landing of their military aircraft in the West African nation. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs confirmed the release late Wednesday, with spokesperson Kimiebi Ebienfa announcing that the personnel had been freed and were no longer being held by Burkinabe authorities.
The soldiers and their aircraft were detained on December 8 after their Nigerian Air Force C-130 transport plane made an unexpected stop in Bobo-Dioulasso due to a technical issue while en route from Lagos to Portugal. Burkina Faso’s military leadership had initially held the soldiers over allegations of violating its airspace, describing the incident as a breach of national sovereignty. In response to the diplomatic standoff, President Bola Tinubu dispatched a high-level delegation to Ouagadougou, led by Foreign Affairs Minister Ambassador Yusuf Tuggar, to engage Burkina Faso’s junta authorities and secure the personnel’s release.
Talks reportedly emphasized respect for airspace sovereignty, strengthened bilateral relations, and deeper regional cooperation. Throughout the detention period, the Nigerian Air Force maintained that the precautionary landing was conducted in line with international aviation safety protocols and assured that the crew were treated well. At the time of reporting, details about the soldiers’ return to Nigeria were still being finalised.
