Tinubu Secures Release of Detained NAF Personnel, C-130 Aircraft in Burkina Faso

|By Adejumo Adekunle

Nigeria has secured the release of 11 Nigerian Air Force (NAF) personnel and a C-130 military aircraft detained in Burkina Faso following a high-level diplomatic intervention led by the Federal Government.

Reacting to the development, Nigerian ambassador-designate, Femi Fani-Kayode, on Thursday commended President Bola Ahmed Tinubu for what he described as a decisive diplomatic victory, praising the administration’s restraint and strategic engagement.

The NAF C-130 aircraft, which was on a ferry mission to Portugal, made a precautionary landing in Bobo Dioulasso about two weeks ago after experiencing technical challenges. However, Mali’s junta leader, Assimi Goita, later described the landing as an “unfriendly act” allegedly carried out in defiance of international law, warning that Sahel states would neutralise any aircraft violating their airspace.

Tensions eased on Wednesday after the Burkinabe authorities released the aircraft and its crew following direct diplomatic talks between both countries.

The Nigerian delegation to Burkina Faso was led by the Minister of Foreign Affairs, Yusuf Tuggar, who met with Burkina Faso’s junta leader, Captain Ibrahim Traoré, in Ouagadougou to resolve the impasse.

Confirming the release, Fani-Kayode disclosed in a post on X that the personnel and aircraft had safely returned home, describing the outcome as a triumph of diplomacy over escalation.

“This is a great victory for restraint, level-headedness and diplomacy,” he stated, while commending President Tinubu and the Foreign Affairs Minister for their leadership and intervention.