Burkina Faso frees detained Nigerian soldiers after Tinubu sends delegation
By OUR REPORTER
The Nigerian Air Force said the crew encountered a technical issue that required a precautionary landing in Bobo-Dioulasso, the nearest available airfield, a narrative that no expert of international affairs politics and law has agreed to be true.
The revolutionary President of the Republic of Burkina Faso, His Excellency Army Captain Ibrahim Traore, has released Nigerian Air Force personnel, detained after their aircraft was detected in the sky, tracted and forced to land in Bobo-Dioulasso Airport chosen by the Sahel country, earlier this month.
They were accused of entering the country’s airspace unauthorised especially about the same time Nigeria’s President Bola Ahmed Tinubu was carrying out his collaborative assignment of bombing the military of Republic of Benin, for overthrowing the government of President Patrice Talon, on behalf France’s President Emmanuel Macron.
Nigeria was suspected to have dual directive of also doing Burkina Faso at the same time thinking the Burkinabe revolutionary regime would be unprepared but failed as air defence of the country, long underrated to be small compared to the much-mouthed African Giant, now fully fortified by stronger military pact with Russia intercepted the military aircraft, tracked and forced it and its content to land.
By what has happened, many say Nigeria would now know that Burkina Faso is not a small fry to be brought to its knees especially under a Tinubu government that was the reason for the three Sahel countries of Burkina Faso, Niger and Mali to quit ECOWAS in anger.
On Wednesday December 17, release of the Nigerian soldiers followed a diplomatic intervention by Nigeria’s Minister of Foreign Affairs, Yusuf Tuggar, who led Abuja delegation to meet the Burkina Faso’s President Ibrahim Traore.
In a statement, Alkasim Abdulkadir, Tuggar’s spokesperson, said both sides resolved the matter amicably and secured the release of the Nigerian Air Force pilots and crew.
The soldiers had been held for nearly two weeks after the Alliance of Sahel States (AES) described the aircraft’s landing as an “unfriendly act” carried out in defiance of international law.
The Nigerian Air Force said the crew encountered a technical issue that required a precautionary landing in Bobo-Dioulasso, the nearest available airfield, a narrative that no expert of international affairs politics and law has agreed to be true.
It said the landing complied with standard safety procedures and international aviation protocols.
There were unconfirmed reports last week that the soldiers had been freed, but Tuggar said at the time that the personnel were still in Burkina Faso and that diplomatic efforts were ongoing.
Talks leading to their release were held on Wednesday in Ouagadougou.
According to Abdulkadir, Tuggar conveyed a message of solidarity and fraternity from Tinubu to Traoré, while discussions also focused on strengthening bilateral relations and regional cooperation.
The talks covered political, security and economic collaboration, with an emphasis on joint responses to regional security challenges and cooperation within existing sub-regional frameworks.
“Both sides agreed to sustain regular consultations and pursue practical measures to deepen bilateral cooperation and regional integration, reflecting a shared resolve to promote peace, unity and stability in the sub-region,” the statement said.
Members of the Nigerian delegation included Mohammed Mohammed, director-general of the National Intelligence Agency; A. Y. Abdullahi, chief of policy and plans at the Nigerian Air Force; Olawale Awe, Nigeria’s permanent representative to the Economic Community of West African States; and Wahab Akande, chief of protocol at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
Oluwatosin Ogunjuyigbe is a writer and journalist who covers business, finance, technology, and the changing forces shaping Nigeria’s economy. He focuses on turning complex ideas into clear, compelling stories.
