The Nigerian Air Force (NAF) says the landing of its C-130 aircraft in Burkina Faso was precautionary and followed due process.
According to the Director of Public Relations and Information, Headquarters, Nigerian Air Force, Air Commodore Ehimen Ejodame, the aircraft landed in the West African country due to a “technical concern”.
“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,” Ejodame said in a statement on Tuesday.
There were reports that the Burkinabe authorities had detained 11 crew members for airspace violation.
However, Ejodame said all the NAF crew “is safe and has received cordial treatment from the host authorities”.
“Plans are ongoing to resume the mission as scheduled,” the statement read in part.
NAF thanked Nigerians for the support “received during this period” and assured the public that it remained professionally committed to strict compliance with operational procedures and safety standards.
Earlier, the allied military-led nations of the Sahel denounced the emergency landing of a Nigerian military aircraft in Burkina Faso on Monday, while collectively threatening action against violations of their airspace.
The Alliance of Sahel States — made up of Mali, Niger, and Burkina Faso — said in a joint statement that the aircraft had been carrying 11 military personnel and did not have permission to fly over Burkina Faso.
“An aircraft belonging to the Air Force of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, type C-130, was forced to land today in Bobo Dioulasso, Burkina Faso, following an in-flight emergency situation while it was operating in Burkinabe airspace,” according to an alliance statement read on state media in the three West African countries.
The statement called the landing an “unfriendly act”. It said the countries’ respective air forces had been put on maximum alert and authorised to “neutralise any aircraft” found to be in violation of the confederation’s airspace.
