UPDATED: Nigerian Air Force clarifies aircraft landing in Burkina Faso, says crew safe

The Nigerian Air Force (NAF) has stated that its aircraft that landed in Burkina Faso Monday night did so for safety reasons and “in accordance with standard safety procedures and international aviation protocols.”

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In a Tuesday statement, its spokesperson, Ehimen Ejodame, said the crew of the NAF C-130 aircraft “observed a technical concern which necessitated a precautionary landing in Bobo-Dioulasso, Burkina Faso, the nearest airfield.”

PREMIUM TIMES earlier reported that the Alliance for Sahel States (AES) had accused Nigeria of violating its airspace after the Nigerian military transport aircraft made an emergency landing in Burkina Faso.

The aircraft touched down in Bobo Dioulasso, a major city in the south-west of Burkina Faso, during an in-flight emergency while transiting Burkinabè airspace.

The AES stated that the aircraft was carrying two crew members and nine military passengers, noting that the Nigerian aircraft lacked authorisation to fly over Burkina Faso.

Burkina Faso, Mali, and Niger, who make up the AES, are three of the West African nations where the military has successfully taken power in recent years.

The states had exited the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) after the regional bloc condemned the coups and imposed sanctions on the three countries.

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Although the sanctions were later withdrawn, the junta leaders accused the bloc of imposing sanctions that they claimed harmed their populations. They also accused ECOWAS of failing to support them in their fight against terrorism.

The three countries officially withdrew from ECOWAS in January 2025, after a year-long attempt by the regional bloc to persuade them to reconsider their departure.

Their accusation of airspace violation, thus, occurs amidst their rift with ECOWAS, where Nigeria plays a leading role as the most populous country and the largest economy.

The AES characterised the aircraft landing as an infringement of national sovereignty and a breach of international aviation norms.

However, the Nigerian Air Force responded that the emergency landing is in line with standard safety procedures and international aviation protocols.

It explained that the aircraft was on a ferry mission to Portugal when the crew observed an unspecified technical issue that required a diversion to the nearest suitable airfield.

“The Nigerian Air Force (NAF) wishes to clarify reports regarding the diversion of a NAF C-130 aircraft during its ferry mission to Portugal on 8 December 2025.

“Following takeoff from Lagos, the crew observed a technical concern which necessitated a precautionary landing in Bobo-Dioulasso, Burkina Faso, the nearest airfield, in accordance with standard safety procedures and international aviation protocols,” it said.

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It further explained that plans are underway to resume the mission once the aircraft is cleared, adding that Nigeria remains committed to strict operational and safety standards.

In his reaction, a senior special assistant to the President Bola Tinubu, Temitope Ajayi, wrote on X, that Burkina Faso only acted on its “typical silly propaganda playbook.”

“Nigerian Air Force military transport planes only made an emergency landing due to technical concerns,” he said. “It is a standard military and civil aviation practice.”