Africa
Burkina Faso Frees Detained Nigerian Air Force Crew After Tinubu’s Envoy Meets Junta Leader Traoré
The soldiers were freed following diplomatic engagements initiated by President Bola Ahmed Tinubu.
Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso– Burkina Faso has released the Nigerian Air Force pilots and crew members detained after their aircraft made a forced landing in the Sahelian country nearly two weeks ago.
The soldiers were freed following diplomatic engagements initiated by President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, who dispatched a high-level delegation led by the Minister of Foreign Affairs, Yusuf Tuggar, to meet with Burkina Faso’s military leader, Captain Ibrahim Traoré, on Wednesday in Ouagadougou.
In a statement issued by Alkasim Abdulkadir, spokesperson to the foreign affairs minister, the Nigerian and Burkinabe authorities “amicably resolved” the matter surrounding the detained Nigerian military personnel.
The Nigerian soldiers had been held since their aircraft landed in Bobo-Dioulasso, Burkina Faso’s second-largest city. The Confederation of Sahel States (AES) had earlier described the incident as an “unfriendly act carried out in defiance of international law,” heightening diplomatic tension between Abuja and Ouagadougou.
However, the Nigerian Air Force (NAF) maintained that the landing was purely precautionary, explaining that the crew observed a technical issue mid-flight and diverted to the nearest available airfield in line with standard safety procedures and international aviation protocols.
Wednesday’s talks between Nigerian and Burkinabe officials reportedly helped to defuse the standoff, paving the way for the release of the detained soldiers.
Abdulkadir said Tuggar conveyed President Tinubu’s message of “solidarity and fraternity” to Traoré, stressing Nigeria’s commitment to peaceful engagement and regional cooperation. Both sides, he added, explored avenues for deepening bilateral relations and strengthening integration within existing regional frameworks.
Discussions during the meeting focused on enhancing political, security and economic cooperation, with particular emphasis on coordinated responses to worsening security challenges across the Sahel and West Africa.
“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,” Abdulkadir said.
Members of the Nigerian delegation included Mohammed Mohammed, Director-General of the National Intelligence Agency (NIA); Air Vice Marshal A. Y. Abdullahi, Chief of Policy and Plans at the Nigerian Air Force; Ambassador Olawale Awe, Nigeria’s Permanent Representative to the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS); and Wahab Akande, Chief of Protocol at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
The development underscores Abuja’s reliance on diplomacy to manage rising tensions in the Sahel, even as relations between ECOWAS and the military-led governments of Burkina Faso, Mali and Niger remain strained.
