Nigeria has formally apologised to Burkina Faso following the unauthorised entry of a Nigerian military aircraft into Burkinabè airspace, an incident that led to the brief detention of 11 Nigerian servicemen. According to media, Nigeria’s foreign minister led a delegation to Ouagadougou to address the issue with Burkina Faso’s military leadership. The apology followed what officials described as irregularities related to overflight authorisation.
The Nigerian Air Force said the aircraft had been en route to Portugal when it developed a technical problem and was forced to land in Burkina Faso. The landing, however, had not been cleared in advance, triggering a diplomatic dispute with the Alliance of Sahel States (AES), which includes Burkina Faso, Mali and Niger. In a strongly worded response at the time, the AES described the incident as an “unfriendly act” and said its member states had placed their air forces on high alert, authorising them to intercept or neutralise aircraft found to be violating the bloc’s airspace.
Nigeria later confirmed that the detained servicemen had been released and were expected to return home, though no timeline was given. Officials said the personnel were in good condition, while the status of the aircraft remained unclear. During talks in Ouagadougou, Nigeria acknowledged the breach and expressed regret over the incident. Both sides agreed to maintain regular consultations and pursue practical steps to strengthen bilateral relations and regional cooperation.
The episode comes amid strained relations between AES members and the West African regional bloc ECOWAS, which Burkina Faso, Mali and Niger have left in favour of closer ties with non-Western partners.