Thirteen days after and following high powered diplomatic moves, Burkina Faso on Wednesday, December 17, 2025, released 11 Nigerian soldiers detained after their aircraft made a forced landing in the Sahelian country.
The soldiers were released after President Bola Tinubu sent a delegation led by Yusuf Tuggar, minister of foreign affairs, to meet with Ibrahim Traoré, Burkin Faso’s junta leader, on Wednesday.
These were contained in a statement by Alkasim Abdulkadir, Media Aide to the Minister of Foreign Affairs, in which he stated that both sides amicably resolved the issues concerning the Nigerian Air Force pilots and crew.
The statement said that Minister of Foreign Affairs delivered a message of solidarity and fraternity from Tinubu to Traoré, as both sides considered avenues for deepening bilateral relations and strengthening integration within the regional bloc.
The soldiers were detained for nearly two weeks after the Confederation of Sahel States (AES) described the landing of the military aircraft as an “unfriendly act carried out in defiance of international law”.
However, the Nigerian Air Force (NAF), said the crew observed a technical concern which necessitated a precautionary landing in Bobo-Dioulasso, a city in Burkina Faso, with the nearest airfield.
According to NAF; “The landing was in accordance with standard safety procedures and international aviation protocols”.
