Adedokun Waliyu 
Nigeria and Burkina Faso have resolved the issue concerning the detention of Nigerian Air Force pilots and crew in the Francophone country.
The Minister of Foreign Affairs, Yusuf Tuggar, disclosed this in a statement, adding that the NAF personnel will return to Nigeria soon.
This followed a visit by a Federal Government delegation, led by Tuggar, to the leader of Burkina Faso, Captain Ibrahim Traoré.
The resolution on Wednesday followed a constructive engagement between the two governments, reinforcing confidence and highlighting the effectiveness of dialogue in addressing sensitive matters.
According to a statement by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the delegation dispatched by President Bola Ahmed Tinubu delivered a message of solidarity and fraternity to Traoré.
Both sides considered avenues for deepening bilateral relations and strengthening integration within the regional bloc.
It revealed that talks held in Ouagadougou centred on advancing political, security, and economic cooperation, with particular emphasis on coordinated responses to regional security challenges and collective action through existing sub-regional frameworks.
The statement signed by the Special Assistant on Media to the minister, Alkasim Abdulkadir, also disclosed that the Burkinabe leader welcomed the Nigerian delegation and conveyed his appreciation to President Tinubu for the message of goodwill.
“He underscored the long-standing ties between Nigeria and Burkina Faso and emphasised the importance of closer collaboration, particularly in addressing shared security and development challenges across the Sahel and the wider West African region,” it read in part.
Tuggar reaffirmed Nigeria’s commitment to good neighbourliness and sustained engagement with Burkina Faso, noting that Nigeria remained firmly supportive of initiatives aimed at strengthening regional cohesion, peace, and economic integration.
He reiterated Tinubu’s readiness to work closely with Burkina Faso in advancing stability and development.
“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 delegation also met with the detained crew who were in high spirits,” it added.
Members of the Nigerian delegation included the Director-General of the National Intelligence Agency, Mohammed Mohammed; the Chief of Policy and Plans, Nigerian Air Force, Air Vice Marshal A. Y. Abdullahi; Nigeria’s Permanent Representative to ECOWAS, Olawale Emmanuel Awe; and the Chief of Protocol at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Wahab Akande.
The NAF crew had reportedly been detained after the Alliance of Sahel States denounced the emergency landing of a Nigerian military aircraft in Burkina Faso.
(L-R ) The leader of Burkina Faso, Ibrahim Traoré, Mali’s military leader Colonel Assimi Goita and Niger’s General Abdourahmane Tchiani.
The alliance — made up of Mali, Niger, and Burkina Faso — said in a joint statement that the aircraft had been carrying 11 military personnel and did not have permission to fly over Burkina Faso.
“An aircraft belonging to the Air Force of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, type C-130, was forced to land today in Bobo Dioulasso, Burkina Faso, following an in-flight emergency situation while it was operating in Burkinabe airspace,” according to an alliance statement read on state media in the three West African countries.
The statement called the landing an “unfriendly act” and said the countries’ respective air forces had been put on maximum alert and authorised to “neutralise any aircraft” found to violate the confederation’s airspace.
But NAF said the landing of its C-130 aircraft in Burkina Faso was precautionary and followed due process.
According to its Director of Public Relations and Information, Air Commodore Ehimen Ejodame, the aircraft landed in the West African country due to a “technical concern”.
“Following takeoff from Lagos, the crew observed a technical concern which necessitated a precautionary landing in Bobo-Dioulasso, Burkina Faso, the nearest airfield, in accordance with standard safety procedures and international aviation protocols,” Ejodame said in a statement.
Amid reports that the Burkinabe authorities had detained 11 crew members for airspace violation, the NAF spokesperson said the crew “is safe and has received cordial treatment from the host authorities.”
