NAF C-130 crew lands in Ghana after release from Burkina Faso, proceeds to Portugal

The Nigerian Air Force (NAF) C-130 aircraft and its crew, who were earlier detained by authorities in Burkina Faso, have arrived in Accra, Ghana, for a scheduled technical stopover, following their release.

The development was confirmed on Friday by Kimiebi Ebienfa, spokesperson of Nigeria’s Federal Ministry of Foreign Affairs, who said the aircraft would continue its journey to Portugal on Saturday as originally planned.

The Ministry disclosed that the aircraft had successfully departed Bobo-Dioulasso, where it had been held for several days, and commended the coordinated diplomatic efforts that secured the crew’s release.

Read also: Burkina Faso releases detained Nigerian soldiers after Tinubu sends delegation

“The Nigerian military aircraft and 11 crew members have taken off from Bobo-Dioulasso. Bravo to the Embassy of Nigeria in Burkina Faso and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Abuja.

“The aircraft is on the ground in Accra, Ghana, for a technical stopover. It will proceed tomorrow (Saturday) as planned to Portugal”, the statement read.

The C-130 aircraft, with a crew of 11 Nigerian personnel, was en route to Portugal for scheduled maintenance when it made an emergency landing in Burkina Faso on December 8, 2025.

The Nigerian authorities had explained that the landing in Bobo-Dioulasso was a precautionary measure prompted by a technical issue detected mid-flight.

However, the aircraft and its crew were subsequently detained by Burkinabe authorities, which led to diplomatic engagements between Abuja and Ouagadougou and drew public attention to the incident.

The detention lasted for about 10 days, during which Nigerian officials worked through diplomatic channels to clarify the circumstances surrounding the emergency landing and secure the release of the crew.

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs had maintained that the mission was purely technical and routine, stressing that the aircraft posed no threat and that the emergency landing was carried out in line with international aviation safety protocols.

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