Eleven Nigerian soldiers and a Nigerian military aircraft have departed Bobo-Dioulasso, Burkina Faso, following their release after 10 days in detention by Burkinabe authorities.
The spokesperson of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Mr Kimiebi Ebienfa, confirmed the development to journalists in Abuja on Friday, announcing that the aircraft and its crew had safely taken off.
“The Nigerian military aircraft and 11 crew members have taken off from Bobo-Dioulasso, Burkina Faso, a few minutes ago,” Ebienfa said. “Bravo to the Embassy of Nigeria in Burkina Faso and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Abuja.”
Ebienfa explained that the aircraft would not fly directly to its original destination due to airspace restrictions imposed by Mali. Instead, it was rerouted through Ghana before proceeding to Portugal.
“The aircraft will fly to Ghana and from there re-route the flight plan to Portugal. They were not granted a permit to fly over Malian airspace, so they had to re-plan the route,” he said.
The soldiers had been detained after the Nigerian Air Force C-130 aircraft made an unscheduled landing in Bobo-Dioulasso on December 8, shortly after departing Lagos en route to Portugal. The landing was reportedly caused by a technical fault.
Burkina Faso’s military authorities subsequently held the aircraft and its crew over alleged airspace violations, describing the incident as a breach of national sovereignty. Investigations conducted by Burkinabe officials, alongside the Confederation of Sahel States, reportedly concluded that the aircraft did not obtain prior authorisation to enter Burkinabe airspace.
Following the incident, the Federal Government initiated high-level diplomatic engagements to secure the release of the personnel and aircraft. President Bola Ahmed Tinubu dispatched a delegation led by the Minister of Foreign Affairs, Ambassador Yusuf Tuggar, to Ouagadougou to engage Burkinabe authorities.
Ebienfa had earlier confirmed on Wednesday night that the detained soldiers had been released, citing confirmation from Nigeria’s Head of Mission in Burkina Faso.
“The soldiers have been released. I just confirmed with our Head of Mission in Burkina Faso,” he said at the time.
The Nigerian Air Force also reassured the public that the crew remained safe throughout the period of detention and were treated courteously by Burkinabe authorities. It stressed that the precautionary landing was carried out in line with standard aviation safety procedures and international protocols.
The departure of the aircraft and crew marks the resolution of a diplomatic incident that raised concerns within the Sahel region and tested regional security and aviation coordination, ultimately ending with the successful intervention of Nigeria’s diplomatic corps.