The Federal Government has begun top-level diplomatic engagements with Burkina Faso in a bid to secure the release of a Nigerian Air Force (NAF) aircraft and its crew currently held in the country.
Sources say that senior representatives from Nigeria’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Defence Headquarters, and ECOWAS liaison offices have already stepped in to manage the delicate situation.
According to insiders, officials within Burkina Faso’s civil aviation sector as well as some military officers are reportedly uncomfortable with a political directive that overturned the initial clearance granted to the aircraft.
“The situation on ground is stable,” an official familiar with the matter said. “The Nigerian personnel are being treated well. At this point, the issue is more political than operational, and both countries are working behind the scenes to de-escalate.”
A defence intelligence officer noted that the NAF crew adhered to global aviation standards by declaring an in-flight emergency, requesting access to the nearest safe airspace, receiving formal permission to land, and undergoing necessary repairs.
Under International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO) protocols, any aircraft facing an emergency must be allowed immediate entry into any available airspace to ensure the safety of the crew and aircraft.
“This is normal procedure,” a senior flight operations expert explained. “Once an emergency is declared, airspace sovereignty becomes secondary until the aircraft is safely on the ground.”
Nigeria is said to be handling the matter with measured diplomacy, even as officials privately express concerns over what they describe as an avoidable escalation influenced by political undercurrents within the Confederation of Sahel States (AES).
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“There is no animosity between Nigeria and Burkina Faso,” a diplomatic source clarified. “However, internal AES politics has complicated what should have been a straightforward emergency landing and release.”
Negotiations are ongoing, with both sides optimistic that the matter will be resolved soon.
