The military regime in Burkina Faso has confirmed that it detained 11 officers of Nigerian Air Force (NAF) and impounded their transport aircraft after the plane allegedly violated Burkinabè airspace — amid fallout from a recent coup attempt in Benin Republic.
According to a statement released by Confederation of Sahel States (AES), a C-130 military aircraft carrying two crew members and nine additional military personnel was compelled to land on Monday, December 8, 2025, at Bobo-Dioulasso — after what the AES described as an “in-flight emergency” while the plane was operating in Burkinabè airspace.
An investigation conducted by Burkinabè authorities reportedly confirmed that the flight lacked prior authorisation to traverse Burkina Faso, amounting to a breach of national sovereignty. The AES condemned the act as a “direct violation of international aviation rules and the sovereignty of its member states,” and announced that its air and anti-aircraft defenses have been placed on maximum alert — with a mandate to neutralise any unauthorized aircraft.
The detained soldiers — two crew and nine passengers — remain in custody in Bobo-Dioulasso, while the aircraft has been seized. As of now, neither the Nigerian government nor the Nigerian Air Force has publicly responded to the detentions or offered a clarification.
Observers note that the incident comes in the wake of a foiled coup attempt in neighboring Benin — where Nigerian jets and troops were reportedly involved in supporting the legitimate government. While Nigerian authorities described their intervention as supporting Benin’s sovereignty, the detentions in Burkina Faso raise fresh tensions in an already fragile Sahel security environment.
Diplomatic sources say Abuja may soon engage Ouagadougou through back-channel talks to demand clarification and seek the release of the detained personnel. Meanwhile, the AES’s hardline stance — emphasising strict sovereignty and readiness to neutralize airspace violations — signals a sharpened posture among the Sahel military regimes.
