The Government of Burkina Faso has claimed that a Nigerian Air Force C‑130 aircraft carrying 11 military personnel was forced to land in Bobo Dioulasso on Monday after allegedly entering the country’s airspace without authorisation.
The disclosure came through the state‑run Agence d’Information du Burkina, which published a statement from the Confederation of Sahel States (AES).
According to the translated statement: “The Confederation of Sahel States informs the public that a C130 aircraft belonging to the Air Force of the Federal Republic of Nigeria 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 crew members and nine passengers on board, all military personnel.”
Burkinabe authorities said their investigation revealed the aircraft had not obtained the required clearance to fly over the country. The AES described the incident as a violation of sovereignty and warned that its air and anti‑aircraft defence systems were now on maximum alert.
AES Condemnation
As of Tuesday, Nigeria’s Air Force and Federal Government had not issued an official response.
The incident comes a day after Nigerian jets carried out air strikes against fleeing plotters of a failed coup in Benin Republic, following requests from Beninese authorities. It remains unclear if the mission extended into Burkina Faso’s airspace.
The bloc declared: “Faced with this unfriendly act carried out in defiance of international law and aviation rules, arrangements are made to guarantee the security of the Confederal airspace. Defences are authorised to neutralise any aircraft that would violate the confederal space.”
⚡️ Burkina Faso DETAINS 11 Nigerian soldiers for VIOLATING Alliance of Sahel States’ (AES) airspace
— RT (@RT_com) December 8, 2025
Nigerian Air Force C-130 forced to make EMERGENCY landing in Bobo-Dioulasso
AES warns: unauthorized aircraft will be NEUTRALIZED pic.twitter.com/B88hru0oEd
Burkina Faso, Mali, and Niger Republic formally exited ECOWAS in January 2025 after military coups and suspensions. The three later formed the AES, a breakaway regional bloc.
ECOWAS, meanwhile, has ordered the deployment of elements of its standby force to Benin after consultations with heads of state.
Nigeria’s Clarifies Circumstances of its Aircraft Landing
The Nigerian Air Force (NAF) has stated that its aircraft that landed in Burkina Faso Monday night did so for safety reasons and “in accordance with standard safety procedures and international aviation protocols.”
In a Tuesday statement, its spokesperson, Ehimen Ejodame, said the crew of the NAF C-130 aircraft “observed a technical concern which necessitated a precautionary landing in Bobo-Dioulasso, Burkina Faso, the nearest airfield.”
NAF insists that the emergency landing is in line with standard safety procedures and international aviation protocols.
It explained that the aircraft was on a ferry mission to Portugal when the crew observed an unspecified technical issue that required a diversion to the nearest suitable airfield.
“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,” it said.
It further explained that plans are underway to resume the mission once the aircraft is cleared, adding that Nigeria remains committed to strict operational and safety standards.
In his reaction, a senior special assistant to the President Bola Tinubu, Temitope Ajayi, wrote on X, that Burkina Faso only acted on its “typical silly propaganda playbook.”
“Nigerian Air Force military transport planes only made an emergency landing due to technical concerns,” he said. “It is a standard military and civil aviation practice.”
The forced landing highlights growing tensions between Nigeria and the AES bloc. Could this mark the beginning of direct confrontation between ECOWAS and AES, or was it simply an operational misstep during Nigeria’s intervention in Benin?
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