Burkina Faso has released 11 Nigerian Air Force (NAF) pilots and crew members nine days after their detention, following sustained diplomatic engagement by the Federal Government.
Their release came after a high-level Nigerian delegation led by the Minister of Foreign Affairs, Ambassador Yusuf Tuggar, held talks with Burkinabè authorities in Ouagadougou, including President Ibrahim Traoré. The delegation comprised senior officials from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Ministry of Defence and NAF Headquarters, and was mandated to resolve the matter through dialogue.
Briefing journalists after the meeting, Tuggar said Nigeria and Burkina Faso share longstanding relations and common security challenges, adding that the engagement was aimed at strengthening mutual understanding and good neighbourly ties.
“We exchanged views on cooperation in several sectors.
We also discussed the Nigerian aircraft that made an emergency landing in Burkina Faso,” he said.
The minister admitted that there were procedural lapses in the authorisation process for the aircraft’s entry into Burkina Faso’s airspace, conveying Nigeria’s regret over the incident while affirming Abuja’s respect for Burkina Faso’s sovereignty and international aviation rules.
He also dissociated the Federal Government from comments credited to a Nigerian political party official alleging maltreatment of Nigerian military personnel in Burkina Faso.
“We clearly dissociate ourselves from those comments and express our sincere regrets to the government of Burkina Faso,” Tuggar said.
Tuggar praised President Traoré and his administration for what he described as their spirit of fraternity and the manner in which the aircraft’s occupants were treated during their stay in the country.
He added that the talks also addressed wider regional cooperation to combat terrorism and violent extremism.