Burkina Faso has confirmed that a Nigerian military aircraft was forced to land after allegedly flying into the country’s airspace without the required clearance. Officials say the Nigerian Air Force C-130 transport aircraft, carrying 11 military personnel, landed in Bobo Dioulasso on Monday under what was described as an in-flight emergency.
The incident was first reported by the Agence d’Information du Burkina, which published a statement from the Confederation of Sahel States (AES) outlining the circumstances that led to the interception. According to the translated statement, the Nigerian military aircraft had two crew members and nine passengers on board—all military personnel—when it entered Burkinabe airspace.
Burkinabe authorities, after conducting an investigation, said their findings showed that the Nigerian military aircraft did not obtain the necessary authorisation to fly over the country. The probe “highlighted the absence of authorisation to fly over the territory of Burkina Faso for this military device,” the AES stated.
The regional alliance strongly criticised the incident, describing it as a violation of the sovereignty of its member states. The AES added that it “condemns with the utmost firmness this violation of its airspace and the sovereignty of its member States.”
In response to the unauthorised entry, the bloc announced that its air and anti-aircraft defence systems have been placed on maximum alert and are authorised to neutralise any aircraft that violates airspace controlled by the AES.
As of the time of this publication, neither the Nigerian Air Force nor the Federal Government has issued an official statement regarding the forced landing of the Nigerian military aircraft in Burkina Faso.