Burkina Faso has released the eleven Nigerian military personnel who were detained following the unscheduled landing of a Nigerian Air Force (NAF) C-130 transport aircraft on Monday.
The release was secured after a diplomatic back-and-forth between Nigeria and the Alliance of Sahel States (AES), comprising the military-led governments of Burkina Faso, Mali, and Niger.
The eleven officers comprising two crew members and nine passengers, were allowed to return home after Burkinabè authorities completed preliminary security checks.
The Nigerian Air Force (NAF) stressed that the landing in Bobo-Dioulasso was a precautionary landing due to a technical concern while the aircraft was on a routine mission to Portugal, adhering to international aviation safety protocols.
Meanwhile, Burkinabe Territorial Administration Minister Emile Zerbo, countered that the aircraft had entered Burkinabè airspace without clearance, violating national procedures and constituting an unfriendly act and a breach of sovereignty.
Burkinabè authorities conducted checks due to suspicions that the Nigerian personnel may have been involved in the recent intervention to counter a coup attempt in Benin Republic.
The AES, in a joint statement, had placed its air and anti-aircraft defenses on maximum alert to neutralize any aircraft that breaches its airspace.
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