Nigeria’s Minister of Foreign Affairs, Yusuf Maitama Tuggar, met with Ibrahim Traore, Leader of Burkina Faso, over detained Nigerian Air Force pilots and crew.
Tuggar, who led a high-level Nigerian delegation on behalf of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, said, through “sustained dialogue”, the matter as regards Nigerian Air Force pilots and crews held in Burkina Faso was “resolved”.
The Minister also conveyed President Tinubu’s message of “solidarity” to the Burkinabe President; he said, Nigeria will not stop to make dialogue its priority, as well as, “regional cohesion” in its engagements within the West African region.
A statement by Minister Tuggar on X reads: “Nigeria continues to prioritise dialogue and regional cohesion in its engagement across West Africa.
“I led a high-level Nigerian delegation to Burkina Faso on behalf of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu @officialABAT to convey his message of solidarity to President Ibrahim Traoré and engage on shared regional priorities.
“The visit allowed us to review pathways for strengthening #NigeriaBurkinaFasoRelations and advancing regional integration. Through sustained dialogue, we also resolved the matter concerning Nigerian Air Force pilots and crew, reaffirming the effectiveness of diplomacy in addressing sensitive issues.”
According to Burkina Faso sources, eleven Nigerian military officers were detained after their aircraft made an emergency landing in the country.
The Burkinabe Territorial Administration Minister Emile Zerbo said, the Air Force C-130 aircraft entered Burkina Faso’s airspace without authorisation.
Via a joint Statement, the military governments of Burkina Faso, Mali and Niger said their prompt investigation confirmed the “violation of its airspace and the sovereignty of its member states”.
However, the Nigerian Air Force (NAF) said a technical problem meant the plane, which was on its way to Portugal, had to land in accordance with safety procedures.
