A Nigerian Air Force plane and 11 people who were held in Burkina Faso after a forced landing have been released, according to confirmation from the federal government.
Last night, Mr. Kimiebi Ebienfa, the spokesperson for the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, made the announcement with the straightforward words, “Yes, they have been released.”
According to The Nation, the confirmation came after a meeting in Ouagadougou between Mr. Yusuf Tuggar, the Minister of Foreign Affairs, and Mr. Ibrahim Traoré, the leader of the Burkina Faso junta.
At President Bola Tinubu’s request, Tuggar led a group from Nigeria and briefed reporters on the results.
Due to a mechanical problem, a Nigerian Air Force C-130 aircraft carrying eleven people on a ferry mission to Portugal had to make a precautionary landing at Bobo Dioulasso almost two weeks ago.
According to Mr. Ehimen Ejodame, the Nigerian Air Force’s Director of Public Relations, the crew followed international aviation procedures by choosing the closest airfield to guarantee safety.
Speaking on behalf of the Confederation of Sahel States, Mr. Assimi Goita, the leader of the Mali junta, denounced the landing as a “unfriendly act carried out in defiance of international law,” cautioning that member states had the right to neutralize aircraft that were infringing on their airspace.
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