Burkina Faso’s military government has confirmed the detention of 11 Nigerian military officers after a Nigerian Air Force aircraft detention incident involving an emergency landing in Bobo-Dioulasso.
The development has sparked tension across West Africa, especially as the Sahel alliance continues to tighten security over its skies.
According to a statement released late Monday, the aircraft, a Nigerian Air Force C-130, allegedly entered Burkinabe airspace without approval on December 8, 2025.
The AES made up of Burkina Faso, Mali, and Niger said the aircraft “violated AES airspace” before requesting an emergency landing.
However, officials said the landing was allowed for safety reasons, even though proper clearance was not found during a follow-up investigation.
The AES explained that Burkinabe authorities immediately opened a probe into the incident.
Moreover, the report submitted to the alliance revealed “the absence of authorization for the aircraft to fly over Burkinabe territory,” which the confederation described as a serious breach.
“The Confederation of the Sahel States strongly condemns this violation of its airspace and the sovereignty of its member states,” the statement read.
Furthermore, the bloc warned that any unfriendly act carried out “in disregard of international law and international civil and/or military aviation regulations” would be met with strong security measures.
Officials noted that the actions taken were aimed at protecting the airspace and ensuring the safety of people within AES states.
In addition, the confederation announced that air defense and anti-aircraft units across the three countries have been placed on maximum alert.
It stated that systems have been fully authorized to neutralize any aircraft that enters the region without proper clearance.
“In this regard, and upon the instruction of the Heads of State, air defense and anti-aircraft systems of the confederal space have been placed on maximum alert… and have been authorized to neutralize any aircraft that violates the confederal airspace,” the AES added.
The Nigerian Air Force aircraft detention comes at a time when the alliance continues to push back against what it views as threats to its sovereignty.
Meanwhile, diplomatic channels between Nigeria and the AES are expected to become active in the coming days as efforts begin to secure the release of the detained personnel.
