Burkina Faso Releases Detained 11 Nigerian Soldiers, Aircraft

• Burkina Faso has freed 11 Nigerian Air Force pilots and crew members following high-level diplomatic engagements led by Nigeria’s Minister of Foreign Affairs, Yusuf Tuggar.

Burkina Faso has released 11 pilots and crew members of the Nigerian Air Force (NAF), nine days after they were detained for landing in the West African country.

Their release followed intensive diplomatic efforts by the Nigerian government, spearheaded by the Minister of Foreign Affairs, Ambassador Yusuf Tuggar.

A high-level Nigerian delegation led by Tuggar met with Burkinabè authorities in Ouagadougou, including President Ibrahim Traoré, to secure the release of the detained personnel through diplomatic engagement.

The spokesperson for Nigeria’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Kimiebi Ebienfa, confirmed the development on Wednesday night.

“The soldiers have been released. I just confirmed with our Head of Mission in Burkina Faso,” Ebienfa said.

The Nigerian delegation included senior officials from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the Ministry of Defence, and the Nigerian Air Force Headquarters, who were mandated to resolve the issue peacefully through dialogue.

Speaking after the meeting, Tuggar said Nigeria and Burkina Faso shared long-standing bilateral ties and common security challenges, noting that the engagement was aimed at reinforcing mutual understanding and neighbourly relations.

“We exchanged views on cooperation in several sectors. We also discussed the Nigerian aircraft that made an emergency landing in Burkina Faso,” Tuggar stated.

The minister acknowledged procedural irregularities in the authorisation process for the aircraft’s entry into Burkina Faso’s airspace, expressing Nigeria’s regret over the incident while reaffirming respect for Burkina Faso’s sovereignty and international aviation protocols.

He also distanced the federal government from comments made by a Nigerian political party official alleging maltreatment of Nigerian military personnel in Burkina Faso.

DON’T MISS: FULL LIST: Nigerian Governors Who Died in Office and the Legacies They Left Behind

“We clearly dissociate ourselves from those comments and express our sincere regrets to the government of Burkina Faso,” Tuggar said.

Tuggar commended President Traoré and his administration for what he described as a spirit of fraternity and the treatment accorded to the aircraft’s occupants during their stay in the country.

He added that discussions also focused on regional efforts to combat terrorism and violent extremism, noting that Burkina Faso had recorded notable successes in counter-terrorism operations.

The minister reaffirmed Nigeria’s commitment to sustained dialogue, regional solidarity, and enhanced cooperation with Burkina Faso and other countries in the sub-region to address shared security challenges.

As of the time of filing this report, it remained unclear whether the Nigerian Air Force aircraft, which had been grounded by Burkina Faso authorities, had also been released.