Burkina Faso has released Nigerian soldiers detained after their aircraft made a forced landing in the Sahelian country.
The soldiers were freed after President Bola Tinubu dispatched a delegation led by Yusuf Tuggar, minister of foreign affairs, to meet Ibrahim Traoré, Burkina Faso’s junta leader, on Wednesday.
A statement issued by Alkasim Abdulkadir, Tuggar’s spokesperson, said both sides amicably resolved the matter involving the Nigerian Air Force pilots and crew.
The soldiers had been held for nearly two weeks after the Confederation of Sahel States (AES) described the landing as an “unfriendly act carried out in defiance of international law”.
However, the air force said the crew detected a technical issue that required a precautionary landing in Bobo-Dioulasso, a city in Burkina Faso, at the nearest airfield.
NAF said the landing complied with standard safety procedures and international aviation protocols.
Last week, there were unverified reports that Burkinabe authorities had released the Nigerian soldiers.
However, Tuggar said the military personnel were still in the Sahelian country, noting that efforts were ongoing to resolve the situation swiftly.
Wednesday’s discussions between Nigerian and Burkinabe officials on the issue were held in Ouagadougou.
Abdulkadir said Tuggar conveyed a message of solidarity and fraternity from Tinubu to Traoré, as both sides explored ways of deepening bilateral relations and strengthening integration within the regional bloc.
Abdulkadir said the talks focused on advancing political, security, and economic cooperation, with particular attention on coordinated responses to regional security challenges and collective action through existing sub-regional frameworks.
“Both sides agreed to sustain regular consultations and pursue practical measures to deepen bilateral cooperation and regional integration, reflecting a shared resolve to promote peace, unity, and stability in the sub-region,” the minister’s aide said in a statement.
Members of the Nigerian delegation included Mohammed Mohammed, director-general of the National Intelligence Agency (NIA); A. Y. Abdullahi, chief of policy and plans, NAF; Olawale Awe, permanent representative to Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS); and Wahab Akande, chief of protocol at the ministry of foreign affairs.
