- Nigerian Air Force says crew safe after C-130 made emergency landing in Burkina Faso.
- Burkina Faso, Mali & Niger under AES label landing an “unfriendly act.”
- AES claims aircraft had no flight clearance and raised air alert.
- Incident highlights rising tension between Nigeria and Sahel alliance.
The Nigerian Air Force on Tuesday announced that all crew personnel aboard its C-130 transport aircraft that diverted into Bobo-Dioulasso, Burkina Faso, were safe and well-received.
According to Air Commodore Ehimen Ejodame, the pilots detected a technical fault mid-flight and were forced to land at the nearest airstrip in line with international aviation safety procedures.
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READ ALSO: NAF Explains Precautionary Landing of Aircraft in Burkina Faso
“The crew is safe and have received cordial treatment from the host authorities,” Ejodame stated.
However, the tone from Burkina Faso, Mali and Niger, nations currently operating as the Alliance of Sahel States (AES) painted a sharply contrasting picture.
In a joint statement, the alliance accused Nigeria of flying military personnel into their airspace without authorisation, adding that the jet carried 11 soldiers and violated flight regulations.
The AES went further, describing the diversion as “an unfriendly act,” and instructed its air forces to remain on high alert. The bloc warned it would not hesitate to neutralise any foreign aircraft entering its territory without clearance.
READ ALSO: Things You Need To Know About NAF C-130 Grounded By Burkina Faso
Relations between Nigeria and the AES have grown increasingly tense, especially after Nigeria led ECOWAS pressure against Niger’s 2023 coup. The Sahel bloc, which has distanced itself from ECOWAS and from Western influence, now aligns more closely with Russia, a shift that continues to reshape West Africa’s security landscape.
Analysts note that Nigeria’s strong involvement in preventing coup takeovers across the region has made the AES more defensive and sensitive to military movement near its borders.
Since 2020, West Africa has recorded nine coups or attempted coups, earning the region an unwelcome reputation as the world’s coup hotspot.
Ejodame confirmed that the aircraft was originally en route to Portugal before the emergency diversion occurred.
