The minister of foreign affairs, Yusuf Tuggar, says the Nigerian soldiers aboard an aircraft that made a forced landing in Burkina Faso remain in the country.
Tuggar made this known on Thursday at the ECOWAS Commission in Abuja while responding to TheCable’s question during a joint press briefing with Olushegun Bakari, his Beninese counterpart.
On Monday, the Confederation of Sahel States (AES) accused an aircraft carrying 11 Nigerian soldiers of violating Burkinabe airspace. AES — made up of Burkina Faso, Mali, and Niger Republic — condemned the incident, with Assimi Goita describing the landing as an “unfriendly act carried out in defiance of international law”.
The AES also announced that it had authorised its member states to neutralise any aircraft found violating its airspace.
The incident occurred around the same period Nigerian troops conducted air strikes in Benin to help thwart a coup attempt.
According to the Nigerian Air Force (NAF), the C-130 aircraft was on a ferry mission to Portugal when the crew noticed a technical issue that required a precautionary landing in Bobo-Dioulasso, the nearest available airfield. NAF added that the landing followed standard safety procedures and international aviation protocols.
There were unconfirmed reports suggesting Burkinabe authorities initially detained the officers and later released them.
Tuggar said Nigeria is currently engaging Ibrahim Traoré, the Burkinabe junta leader, to resolve the matter.
“We are discussing how we can resolve this delicate matter as quickly as possible, and we’re talking. So it’s something that is being handled diplomatically,” he said.
When asked directly if the soldiers are still in Burkina Faso, Tuggar responded: “Yes, they are”.
Bakari also clarified that the aircraft incident had no connection to Nigeria’s support in stopping the coup attempt in Benin — a position Tuggar fully agreed with.
“Absolutely, it was on its way to Portugal and it developed a technical problem and was forced to land,” Tuggar noted, adding that such situations fall under ICAO regulations and could happen to any country.
Tuggar expressed optimism that the issue would be resolved promptly.