Burkina Faso and the AES vow to neutralize any threats as it detains 11 Nigerian soldiers

A C-130 aircraft transporting 11 Nigerian servicemen is reportedly being detained in Burkina Faso following accusations of airspace violation.

• A Nigerian military aircraft, carrying 11 personnel, is detained in Burkina Faso for alleged airspace violation.
• Burkina Faso, a member of the Alliance of Sahel States, claims the aircraft’s presence was an unfriendly act that breached sovereignty.
• The Sahel States Alliance has condemned the incident, emphasizing heightened alert for airspace protection.
• The detention follows recent Nigerian airstrikes in Benin targeting coup plotters, which adds tension in the region.

This information was disclosed by the state-run news agency Agence d’Information du Burkina in a joint statement published by the Alliance of Sahel States.

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“An aircraft belonging to the Air Force of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, type C-130, was forced to land today in Bobo Dioulasso, Burkina Faso, following an in-flight emergency situation while it was operating in Burkinabe airspace,” the statement read partly.

The statement asserts that the Nigerian aircraft’s flight through Burkina Faso’s airspace constitutes an “unfriendly act,” which has resulted in a high alert and the authorization to “neutralize any aircraft” found to violate the confederation’s airspace.

Some reports suggest that the Alliance, which comprises Mali, Niger, and Burkina Faso, is considering taking action against the Nigerian soldiers for what the country considers a violation.

The three Sahel countries denounced the incident as a breach of sovereignty, asserting that the body “condemns with the utmost firmness this violation of its airspace and the sovereignty of its member States.”

As seen in the Punch, the Sahel countries also warned that “air and anti-aircraft defences of the Confederate space put on maximum alert…were authorised to neutralise any aircraft that would violate the Confederate space.”

This incident is coming just days after Nigeria launched airstrikes against coup plotters in the West African state of Benin.

The airstrikes were in response to a botched coup by some members of the Beninese army.

The countries that make up the Alliance of the Sahel States are currently under junta rule following successful military coups.

Nigerian airstrikes in Benin

On Sunday, the Nigerian government disclosed that its fighter jets and ground forces helped Benin’s army thwart an attempted coup in Cotonou.

According to a statement published by Nigeria’s presidential spokesperson, Bayo Onanuga, the Benin administration, through a Note Verbale, requested that Nigeria deploy fighter jets to safeguard its airspace and expel soldiers led by Colonel Pascal Tigri, who had seized the national television station and announced the suspension of democratic institutions.

“Acting on two separate requests from the Government of Benin, President Tinubu first ordered Nigerian Air Force fighter jets to enter the country and take over the airspace to help dislodge the coup plotters from the National TV and a military camp where they had regrouped,” the statement read.

General Olufemi Oluyede, Nigeria’s Chief of Defence Staff, announced that all demands were fulfilled, with Nigerian ground soldiers now operating in Benin only on missions approved by Beninese authorities.

Within hours, loyal forces, aided by Nigeria, reclaimed the national broadcaster and put down the coup attempt.