Burkina Faso’s military junta announced late Monday that it has detained eleven Nigerian military officers and seized a Nigerian Air Force (NAF) cargo plane after the aircraft entered the country’s airspace without proper authorization, forcing an emergency landing.
The incident occurred on December 8, 2025, when a Nigerian C130 transport aircraft landed in Bobo Dioulasso following what authorities in the Alliance of Sahel States (AES) described as an “in-flight emergency situation.” The AES, which comprises military regimes in Burkina Faso, Niger, and Mali, confirmed the detention.
According to a statement from the Sahel alliance, the seized aircraft was carrying two crew members and nine passengers, all of whom were identified as Nigerian military personnel. “The military aircraft had on board two (02) crew members and nine (09) passengers, all military personnel,” the statement noted.
Burkinabe authorities immediately launched an investigation after determining that the Nigerian aircraft lacked the required overflight clearance.
The AES, which has placed its member states’ military forces on high alert, strongly condemned the incursion as a violation of sovereignty. “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 military alliance warned that severe measures have been authorized to prevent future breaches: “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 incident escalates tensions between the ECOWAS bloc, led by Nigeria, and the military-led AES nations.
