Burkina Faso has released the Nigerian soldiers who were detained after their aircraft made a forced landing in the Sahelian country nearly two weeks ago.
The release followed a high-level diplomatic intervention ordered by President Bola Tinubu, who dispatched a Nigerian delegation led by the Minister of Foreign Affairs, Yusuf Tuggar, to meet with Burkina Faso’s junta leader, Ibrahim Traoré, on Wednesday.
The talks were held in Ouagadougou, the capital of Burkina Faso.
Confirming the development in a statement, Alkasim Abdulkadir, spokesperson to the foreign affairs minister, said both countries “amicably resolved the issue concerning the Nigerian Air Force pilots and crew.”
The Nigerian soldiers had been held after the Confederation of Sahel States (AES) described the aircraft’s landing as an “unfriendly act carried out in defiance of international law.”
However, the Nigerian Air Force (NAF) explained that the aircraft made a precautionary landing due to a technical concern.
Ehimen Ejodame, director of public relations at the NAF, said the C-130 aircraft was on a ferry mission to Portugal when the crew observed a technical issue.
He said the development “necessitated a precautionary landing in Bobo-Dioulasso, a city in Burkina Faso, with the nearest airfield”, adding that the landing was “in accordance with standard safety procedures and international aviation protocols.”
The detention sparked diplomatic engagement between the two countries, with initial reports last week suggesting that the soldiers had been released. However, Tuggar later disclosed that the military personnel were still being held at the time.
“We are discussing how we can resolve this delicate matter as quickly as possible, and we’re talking,” Tuggar had said. “So it’s something that is being handled diplomatically.”
Speaking after Wednesday’s meeting, Abdulkadir said Tuggar conveyed a message of solidarity and fraternity from President Tinubu to Traoré.
He said discussions between both sides went beyond the immediate issue of the detained soldiers and focused on strengthening bilateral relations.
According to Abdulkadir, the talks centred on political, security and economic cooperation, with particular emphasis on joint responses to regional security challenges and collective action through existing sub-regional frameworks.
“Both sides agreed to sustain regular consultations and pursue practical measures to deepen bilateral cooperation and regional integration, reflecting a shared resolve to promote peace, unity, and stability in the sub-region,” he said.
Members of the Nigerian delegation included Mohammed Mohammed, director-general of the National Intelligence Agency (NIA); A. Y. Abdullahi, chief of policy and plans, Nigerian Air Force; Olawale Awe, Nigeria’s permanent representative to the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS); and Wahab Akande, chief of protocol at the ministry of foreign affairs.
The detention occurred amid heightened tensions in the region following a statement by Assimi Goita, the leader of Mali’s junta, who spoke on behalf of the AES.
Goita had described the aircraft’s landing as an “unfriendly act carried out in defiance of international law” and said the AES had authorised its member states to neutralise any aircraft violating its airspace.
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