NIGERIAN SOLDIERS STILL IN BURKINA FASO AFTER FORCED AIRCRAFT LANDING - FOREIGN MINISTER

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By Aishat Momoh. O.

Nigeria’s Minister of Foreign Affairs, Yusuf Tuggar, has confirmed that the 11 Nigerian soldiers aboard a military aircraft that made a forced landing in Burkina Faso are still in the country.

Tuggar made the disclosure on Thursday during a joint press briefing with his Beninese counterpart, Olushegun Bakari, at the ECOWAS Commission in Abuja.

On Monday, the Confederation of Sahel States (AES) comprising Burkina Faso, Mali, and Niger Republic accused a Nigerian Air Force (NAF) C-130 aircraft of violating Burkinabe airspace. The incident coincided with Nigerian military support to Benin Republic in efforts to foil a coup attempt.

However, NAF clarified that the aircraft was on a ferry mission to Portugal when its crew detected a technical fault, necessitating an emergency landing in Bobo-Dioulasso, the nearest available airfield. The Air Force described the landing as compliant with international aviation standards and ICAO regulations.

There were unconfirmed reports that Burkinabe authorities detained and later released the soldiers, but Tuggar declined to confirm this, saying diplomatic talks with Burkina Faso’s junta leader, Ibrahim Traoré, were ongoing.

“We are discussing how we can resolve this delicate matter as quickly as possible,” he said. When asked directly if the soldiers remained in Burkina Faso, he responded, “Yes, they are.”

Benin’s Foreign Minister Bakari emphasized that the aircraft incident had no connection to Nigeria’s assistance to Benin during the coup scare. Tuggar also reaffirmed this position, stressing that the forced landing was solely a technical issue.

He added that such situations are routine in international aviation: “When you have a problem, you land in the nearest airport… It can happen to anybody.”

The minister expressed confidence that the matter would be resolved swiftly through diplomatic channels.