The Government of Burkina Faso has stated that a Nigerian Air Force aircraft carrying 11 soldiers was grounded and forced to land in the country on Monday after reportedly violating its airspace.
The development was reported by the the state-run news agency, Agence d’Information du Burkina which published a statement from the Confederation of Sahel States.
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The statement, translated from French, read, “The Confederation of Sahel States informs the public that a C130 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 Burkinabe airspace. The military aircraft had two (2) crew members and nine (9) passengers on board, all military personnel.”
The statement added that an investigation by Burkinabe authorities “highlighted the absence of authorisation to fly over the territory of Burkina Faso for this military device.”
The AES strongly condemned the incident, describing it as a violation of sovereignty, saying it “condemns with the utmost firmness this violation of its airspace and the sovereignty of its member States.”
The body warned that “air and anti-aircraft defences of the Confederate space put on maximum alert…were authorised to neutralize any aircraft that would violate the Confederate space.”
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At the time of filing this report, no official comment is yet to come from the Nigerian Air Force or the Federal Government.
Meanwhile, The Confederation of Sahel States (AES) says it has authorised its member states to neutralise any aircraft violating its airspace.
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