Burkina Faso frees 11 detained Nigerian soldiers, aircraft

Burkina Faso military authorities have freed 11 Nigerian military officers who were detained following an unscheduled landing of a Nigerian Air Force C-130 aircraft.

Recall that the aircraft made an emergency landing due to reported technical problems. Authorities in Burkina Faso and the Alliance of Sahel States (AES) viewed the incident as a breach of national airspace and sovereignty

Business Insider reports that the officers were allowed to return home after Burkinabè authorities completed preliminary checks, conducted amid suspicions of their involvement in the Benin coup rescue.

The officers, two crew members and nine military passengers, were aboard a Nigerian Air Force (NAF) C-130 that landed on Monday in the western city of Bobo-Dioulasso.

Meanwhile, the Nigerian government described the stop as a technical emergency landing while the aircraft was en route to Portugal.

Burkinabè authorities, however, countered that the aircraft violated national procedures by entering the country’s airspace without authorisation.

Territorial Administration Minister Emile Zerbo said the sudden arrival triggered an immediate security response