Burkina Faso has released a Nigerian military aircraft and its 11-member crew after Nigeria issued a formal apology for violating Burkinabè airspace without prior authorization.
The apology was delivered during a visit to Ouagadougou by Nigerian Foreign Minister Yusuf Maitama Tuggar, who conveyed a message from the Nigerian president to his Burkinabè counterpart. In the message, Nigeria expressed its “regret” over what it described as an “unfortunate” incident, while commending the Burkinabè authorities for their treatment of the crew.
Last week, Burkina Faso forced the aircraft to make an emergency landing at Bobo-Dioulasso airport and detained the crew for questioning.
Nigeria later acknowledged that the incident resulted from a “technical failure” during a training flight en route to Portugal.
The development comes amid heightened regional tensions between Nigeria and several Sahel countries, driven by differing positions over recent military coups in the region.
