Aircraft ‘Detained’ In Burkina Faso Resumes Journey To Portugal — NAF

The Nigerian Air Force (NAF) on Friday said the C-130 transport aircraft, which made a precautionary landing in Bobo-Dioulasso, Burkina Faso, has resumed its journey after safety checks, easing concerns over the status of the aircraft and its crew.

NAF spokesman, Ehimen Ejodame, disclosed this in a statement, saying the aircraft departed Bobo-Dioulasso on Friday evening and arrived safely in Accra, Ghana, in line with an updated flight plan.

“The Nigerian Air Force is pleased to confirm that its C-130 aircraft, which made a precautionary landing in Bobo-Dioulasso, Burkina Faso, departed this evening and arrived safely in Accra in line with the updated flight plan,” the statement said.

Ejodame stated that the aircraft is now preparing for onward movement to Portugal via Banjul and Casablanca, where it is scheduled to undergo routine depot maintenance.

READ ALSO: NAF Pilots, Crew’s Detention In Burkina Faso Resolved — FG

The development followed heightened public attention after reports emerged of the aircraft’s unexpected landing in Burkina Faso, prompting diplomatic engagement between Nigeria and the Burkinabé authorities.

Nigeria’s Minister of Foreign Affairs, Yusuf Tuggar, subsequently led a delegation to Ouagadougou on the directive of President Bola Tinubu, where he met with Burkina Faso’s leader, Captain Ibrahim Traoré, and later briefed journalists on the outcome of the talks.

According to NAF, the landing was purely precautionary and carried out in line with international aviation safety standards, stressing that there was no emergency and that the aircraft remained serviceable throughout.

Providing further reassurance in the latest update, the Air Force said all personnel on board remained safe and that the aircraft was fit to continue its mission.

“The Nigerian Air Force appreciates the concern and support expressed by members of the public and assures Nigerians that all personnel remain safe, the aircraft is serviceable, and the Service continues to operate to the highest standards of safety and professionalism,” the statement added.

The NAF crew had reportedly been detained after the Alliance of Sahel States denounced the emergency landing of a Nigerian military aircraft in Burkina Faso.

The alliance — made up of Mali, Niger, and Burkina Faso — said in a joint statement that the aircraft had been carrying 11 military personnel and did not have permission to fly over Burkina Faso.

“An aircraft belonging to the Air Force of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, type C-130, was forced to land today in Bobo Dioulasso, Burkina Faso, following an in-flight emergency situation while it was operating in Burkinabe airspace,” according to an alliance statement read on state media in the three West African countries.

The statement called the landing an “unfriendly act” and said the countries’ respective air forces had been put on maximum alert and authorised to “neutralise any aircraft” found to violate the confederation’s airspace.

But NAF said the landing of its C-130 aircraft in Burkina Faso was precautionary and followed due process.

Ejodame said the aircraft landed in the West African country due to a “technical concern”.

“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,” he said.