A Nigerian Air Force C-130 transport aircraft carrying 11 military personnel was detained in Burkina Faso on Monday, December 8, 2025, after making a forced landing in the country’s airspace without prior clearance, escalating tensions between West Africa’s regional blocs.
The aircraft reportedly suffered an in-flight emergency while transiting Burkinabè airspace and was compelled to land at Bobo-Dioulasso, a major commercial hub in southwestern Burkina Faso. Authorities of the Alliance of Sahel States (AES) intercepted the aircraft and detained its two crew members and nine passengers, all Nigerian military personnel.
In a statement issued on December 8, 2025, and signed by Mali’s junta leader, Assimi Goïta, the AES said the aircraft entered its airspace without authorisation, describing the action as a violation of its sovereignty.
“The Confederation of Sahel States informs the public that a C-130 aircraft belonging to the Air Force of the Federal Republic of Nigeria was forced to land today, December 8, 2025, in Bobo-Dioulasso, Burkina Faso, following an in-flight emergency while operating in Burkinabè airspace. The military aircraft had two crew members and nine passengers on board, all military personnel,” the statement read.
Burkinabè authorities confirmed that the aircraft lacked the required diplomatic and flight clearance, turning what could have been a routine emergency diversion into a diplomatic incident. The AES warned it would “neutralise any aircraft that violates the Confederate airspace.”
The latest development comes amid heightened insecurity across the Sahel, where jihadist groups have intensified attacks on both civilian and military targets. Burkina Faso alone recorded over 2,000 conflict-related deaths in 2024, according to United Nations figures. Following military takeovers in Mali (2020), Burkina Faso (2022) and Niger (2023), the three countries formed the AES in 2023 and formally withdrew from ECOWAS in January 2025.
Regional tension further intensified just days earlier, on December 6, 2025, when a failed coup attempt occurred in Cotonou, Benin Republic. Mutineers briefly seized the state television station before being overpowered. Following a request from President Patrice Talon, President Bola Tinubu approved limited Nigerian military support. Nigerian aircraft reportedly conducted surveillance and air strikes on rebel positions, coordinated with Beninese ground forces.
Unconfirmed reports suggest the detained C-130 aircraft may have been linked to the Benin operation, though this remains officially unverified. The AES described the overflight as an “unfriendly act” and a “defiance of international law.”
Footage of the AES announcement circulated widely on social media, drawing mixed reactions from users across the sub-region. While some hailed the interception as an assertion of sovereignty, others warned against a wider military confrontation.
As of press time, Nigeria’s Defence Headquarters and Ministry of Foreign Affairs had yet to issue an official response. Diplomatic sources indicated that Abuja may invoke the Chicago Convention on International Civil Aviation, which permits emergency landings during technical distress.
Nigeria operates one of the largest air forces in West Africa, with a fleet of over 140 aircraft. AES member states, however, have recently strengthened their air defence capabilities, reportedly with Russian military support.
Diplomatic engagements are ongoing to secure the release of the detained personnel and defuse the growing tension.