The Nigerian Air Force aircraft and 11 personnel detained in Burkina Faso have been released, the Federal Government confirmed on Wednesday night.
The release followed a meeting between Nigerian Foreign Affairs Minister Yusuf Tuggar and Burkina Faso’s junta leader Ibrahim Traoré in Ouagadougou, which was initiated by President Bola Tinubu.
The aircraft, a C-130, had made a forced landing in Bobo Dioulasso nearly two weeks ago due to technical issues while on a ferry mission to Portugal.
The Nigerian Air Force explained that the crew followed international aviation protocols in making the precautionary landing.
However, the Confederation of Sahel States (AES), comprising Burkina Faso, Mali, and Niger, had accused Nigeria of violating their airspace, describing the landing as an “unfriendly act” and warning that member states could neutralize aircraft violating their airspace.
