Burkina Faso has released eleven Nigerian military officers who were detained after their Air Force transport aircraft made an unauthorised landing in the country, officials said on Tuesday.
The officers were cleared to return home after Burkinabè authorities completed initial checks amid suspicions that they had been involved in the Benin coup rescue.
The personnel were aboard a Nigerian Air Force (NAF) C-130 that Abuja described as making a “technical emergency landing” on Monday in the western city of Bobo-Dioulasso while en route to Portugal. Burkinabè authorities, however, said the aircraft had entered their airspace without clearance.
According to the country’s territorial administration Minister Emile Zerbo, the plane violated national procedures when it flew into Burkina Faso “without authorisation,” prompting security agencies to intervene.
In a joint statement, the military governments of Burkina Faso, Mali and Niger: the Alliance of Sahel States (AES), said their investigation confirmed a “violation of its airspace and the sovereignty of its member states.”
The AES labelled the incident an “unfriendly act” and said its air forces had been placed on maximum alert, with orders to “neutralise any aircraft” that breached the confederation’s airspace.
According to the bloc, the aircraft carried two crew members and nine military passengers. Burkinabè security officials told the BBC the officers were released after initial questioning and permitted to depart.
