Burkina Faso detains 11 Nigerian soldiers after airspace breach

Authorities in Burkina Faso have arrested 11 Nigerian soldiers and seized the aircraft that brought them, following accusations that it violated the country’s airspace.

Burkina Faso is among three nations that separated from the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) after experiencing coups.

The identities of the 11 soldiers remain undisclosed. They were reportedly part of a standby military contingent sent to help suppress the recent coup in neighbouring Benin Republic.

This information comes from a report by the state-run Agence d’Information du Burkina (AIB).

In a statement on Monday, the Confederation of Sahel States (AES) confirmed that a Nigerian military aircraft carrying 11 soldiers entered Burkina Faso’s airspace without authorisation and was compelled to land.

“The Confederation of Sahel States informs the public that a C130 aircraft of the Nigerian Air Force was forced to land today, December 8, 2025, in Bobo Dioulasso, Burkina Faso, due to an in-flight emergency while operating in Burkinabe airspace. The aircraft had two crew members and nine passengers, all military personnel,” the AES said.

The statement added that Burkinabe authorities immediately launched an investigation, which revealed that the flight had no clearance to traverse Burkina Faso’s territory. AES described the incident as a serious breach of sovereignty and pledged to safeguard its airspace.

“Confronted with this unfriendly action, which violates international law and aviation regulations, measures have been put in place to ensure the security of the confederation’s airspace, the territorial integrity of its member states, and the safety of its populations,” the statement said.

It continued, “Following directives from the Heads of State, the air and anti-aircraft defence systems of the Confederation have been placed on maximum alert, as per the Declaration of the College of Heads of State dated December 22, 2024, and are authorised to neutralise any aircraft that breaches confederal airspace.”

So far, the Nigerian government has not commented on the situation.

Last week, President Bola Tinubu ordered the Nigerian Armed Forces to intervene in Benin Republic to quell a coup attempt. Both ground and air forces were deployed to execute the operation.