Eshioromeh Sebastian in Abuja
Burkina Faso, acting under the authority of the Confederation of Sahel States (AES), has confirmed it detained a Nigerian military aircraft for entering its airspace without authorisation.
A Nigerian Air Force C130 transport plane was forced to land in the city of Bobo Dioulasso on Monday, 08 December 2025. According to an official communiqué from the AES, the bloc condemned the incident as a serious violation of its airspace and sovereignty.
Although no official statement has been issued by the Nigerian Government, the Nigerian Air Force C-130, was said to be on a flight to Ghana for ECOWAS duties when it strayed into Burkina Faso’s airspace after going off radar. Burkinabè authorities intercepted the plane and forced it to land.
The statement, issued from Bamako and signed by Mali’s transitional president, General Assimi Goïta, who chairs the AES, said the aircraft “was forced to land following an in-flight emergency while operating in Burkinabè airspace.” It was carrying two crew members and nine passengers, all military personnel.
An immediate investigation by Burkinabè authorities confirmed that the aircraft “lacked authorisation to overfly Burkinabè territory.”
The Sahel Confederation—comprising Mali, Burkina Faso, and Niger—condemned the breach “with the greatest firmness,” labelling it “an unfriendly act conducted in contempt of international law and international civil and/or military aviation rules.”
In response, the bloc announced it has placed its air and anti-aircraft defences on “maximum alert” and has authorised them “to neutralise any aircraft that violates confederal airspace.” This directive was issued under instructions from the AES heads of state, referencing a previous declaration from 22 December 2024.
The communiqué stressed that measures have been taken to “guarantee the security of confederal airspace, the sovereignty and territorial integrity of its member states.”
The incident occurs amidst heightened regional tensions, just a day after the Nigerian government reportedly helped foil a coup plot in neighbouring Benin.
Burkina Faso is currently under military rule led by Transitional President Ibrahim Traoré, who seized power in a 2022 coup.
The nation is governed under a transitional charter while facing significant security challenges from Islamist insurgencies.
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