The Federal Government says it is investigating reports that a Nigerian Air Force C-130 aircraft was forced to land in Bobo Dioulasso, Burkina Faso, after allegedly violating the country’s airspace.
Speaking to journalists on Tuesday in Abuja, Ministry of Foreign Affairs spokesperson Kimiebi Ebienfa said officials are still gathering details.
“We are monitoring the situation and will issue a statement when we receive adequate information,” he told reporters.
Burkina Faso had earlier reported that the Nigerian military plane, carrying eleven personnel, was forced to land on Monday following an alleged airspace violation.
The Agence d’Information du Burkina first published the development, citing a statement from the Confederation of Sahel States.
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According to the statement, the aircraft, with two crew members and nine soldiers on board, made an emergency landing while operating in Burkinabe airspace.
The Sahel regional body added that an investigation by Burkinabe authorities “highlighted the absence of authorisation to fly over the territory of Burkina Faso for this military device.”
“The Confederation of Sahel States informs the public that a C-130 aircraft belonging to the Air Force of the Federal Republic of Nigeria was forced to land today, December 8, 2025, in Bobo Dioulasso, Burkina Faso, following an in-flight emergency while operating in Burkinabe airspace. The military aircraft had two (2) crew members and nine (9) passengers on board, all military personnel,” the statement read.
The Confederation condemned the incident as a violation of sovereignty, saying it “condemns with the utmost firmness this violation of its airspace and the sovereignty of its member States.”
It also warned that its air and anti-aircraft units had been placed on maximum alert and “were authorised to neutralise any aircraft that would violate the Confederate space.”
