The Nigerian Air Force (NAF) has firmly denied allegations of violating Burkina Faso’s airspace, asserting that a C-130 aircraft made a precautionary landing in Bobo-Dioulasso due to a technical issue during a ferry mission to Portugal.
This rebuttal comes hours after the Confederation of Sahel States (AES)—comprising Burkina Faso, Mali, and Niger—accused the Nigerian military of an unauthorized incursion, grounding the plane with 11 personnel on board and placing regional defenses on high alert. The incident, unfolding on December 8, 2025, has ignited diplomatic friction in West Africa, spotlighting strained relations between Nigeria and the AES juntas following their ECOWAS exit.
In a statement broadcast via state media across the AES nations, the alliance detailed how the NAF C-130 was “forced to land today, December 8, 2025, in Bobo Dioulasso, Burkina Faso, following an in-flight emergency while operating in Burkinabe airspace. The military aircraft had two (2) crew members and nine (9) passengers on board, all military personnel.”
Burkinabe authorities’ probe “highlighted the absence of authorisation to fly over the territory of Burkina Faso for this military device,” prompting AES to declare: “The Confederation of the Sahel States most strongly condemns this violation of its airspace and the sovereignty of its member states.”
Further underscoring the gravity, AES warned: “Faced with this unfriendly act carried out in defiance of international law and international civil and/or military aviation rules… the air and anti-aircraft defences of the Confederal space put on maximum alert…were authorised to neutralise any aircraft that would violate the Confederate space.”
NAF spokesperson, in an official clarification, emphasized adherence to global standards: “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.”
The statement added that the crew “is safe and has received cordial” treatment, countering detention narratives from AES-aligned reports. No prior NAF comment had surfaced amid initial AES claims, but this response aims to de-escalate perceptions of deliberate provocation
The episode follows NAF airstrikes in Benin Republic against coup plotters just days prior, with speculation—unconfirmed—on mission overlaps near Burkina Faso, northwest of Benin. Nigeria’s Federal Government, via Foreign Affairs spokesperson Kimiebi Ebienfa, confirmed it is “investigating reports that a Nigerian Air Force C-130 aircraft was forced to land in Bobo Dioulasso… after allegedly violating the country’s airspace,” while gathering details from all parties.
AES’s alert heightens risks in a Sahel corridor plagued by jihadist threats and junta-led isolationism, as Burkina Faso’s junta detains the 11 Nigerians and seizes the aircraft pending resolution. Nigerian authorities and AES have yet to announce formal diplomatic channels for the personnel’s release or aircraft return.
