Nigerian aircraft and crew detained by Burkina Faso released
A Nigerian aircraft and its crew, who were detained by Burkinabe authorities over an allegation of violating Burkinabe airspace, have been released.
They were received by President John Mahama’s Special Envoy for the Sahel, Lt Col (Rtd.) Larry Gbevlo Lartey.
The handover took place on Saturday, December 20, 2025.
In a press statement, the Minister for Government Communications, Felix Kwakye Ofosu said Lt. Col. (Rtd) Gbevlo Lartey welcomed the crew on behalf of President Mahama and commended the Nigerian and Burkinabe governments for resolving the matter amicably through diplomatic channels.
He described the incident as a demonstration of fraternal relations within the West African subregion and an example of resolving differences in a neighbourly manner.
The Nigerian crew will remain in Ghana to rest, conduct technical checks, and await clearance to continue their flight to Portugal, where the aircraft is scheduled for servicing.
What happened
The two flight crew members and nine passengers on the Nigerian Air Force flight were detained on Dec. 8, 2025, after their aircraft made an emergency landing in Burkina Faso, Nigeria's foreign minister said.
“Through sustained dialogue, we also resolved the matter concerning Nigerian Air Force pilots and crew, reaffirming the effectiveness of diplomacy in addressing sensitive issues,” Foreign Affairs Minister for Nigeria, Yusuf Tuggar, said on Thursday.
Burkina Faso’s military regime, led by Ibrahim Traoré, released the personnel after meetings with a Nigerian delegation.
The Nigerian Air Force said last week that the aircraft was headed to Portugal for scheduled maintenance when it made the emergency landing in western Burkina Faso. The air force said the landing was done in accordance with international guidelines and standard safety procedures.
The emergency landing prompted the Alliance of Sahel States to place its air and anti-air defenses on maximum alert with authorization “to neutralize any aircraft that violates the confederation’s airspace,” according to a statement by Gen. Assimi Goita, leader of Mali’s military junta. The alliance includes Burkina Faso, Mali and Niger.
The crew will now fly the aircraft to Portugal for the scheduled maintenance, Nigerian foreign ministry spokesperson Kimiebi Ebienfa said on Thursday.
The emergency landing occurred at a time of fractured relations between the Alliance of Sahel States and Nigeria, which was involved in intervention efforts that helped reverse a short-lived coup earlier this month in Benin, where the Nigerian Air Force conducted airstrikes targeting the coup plotters. Burkina Faso is on the northwest border of Benin and Nigeria is on Benin’s eastern border.
Nigeria and Ghana are leaders in the 15-member West Africa regional bloc, the Economic Community of West African States. Burkina Faso, Mali and Niger formed the Sahel alliance after withdrawing from ECOWAS, which the alliance accuses of inhumane, coup-related sanctions and working against the interests of citizens in alliance countries.
