Tension may have erupted between Nigeria and Burkina Faso following conflicting accounts over the precautionary landing of a Nigerian Air Force C-130 aircraft in Bobo-Dioulasso on Monday.
While the NAF says the crew diverted due to a technical concern and received “cordial treatment” from host authorities, Burkina Faso’s military regime, in a nationwide broadcast, condemned the incident as a “violation of AES airspace” and confirmed it has detained 11 Nigerian military personnel.
The Burkinabé authorities, speaking under the Alliance of Sahel States alleged that the Nigerian aircraft entered its restricted airspace without authorization after its transponder went off, causing the aircraft to disappear from regional radar systems.
The regime said its forces responded in line with AES security directives, forcing the plane to land and taking all personnel onboard into custody.
They warned that “any unauthorized aircraft violating AES airspace will be neutralized.”
This sharply contradicts the Nigerian Air Force’s earlier statement, which maintained that the diversion was a routine safety response after the crew detected a technical issue shortly after takeoff from Lagos.
According to the NAF, the aircraft made a precautionary landing in Burkina Faso in full compliance with aviation procedures, and the crew was safe and treated professionally by local authorities.
