Burkina Faso grounds Nigerian military aircraft for allegedly violating airspace
The Government of Burkina Faso on Monday forced a Nigerian military aircraft conveying 11 soldiers to land in the country for allegedly violating its airspace.
The state-owned media outlet Agence d’Information du Burkina reported the incident in a published statement issued by the Confederation of Sahel States, an alliance formed between Mali, Niger, and Burkina Faso; countries located in the Sahel region of Africa.
The statement which was published in French, read in English translation: “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 based on investigation by the Burkinabe authorities there was no “authorisation to fly over the territory of Burkina Faso for this military device”.
The statement further “condemns with the utmost firmness this violation of its airspace and the sovereignty of its member States”.
It also warned that “air and anti-aircraft defences of the Confederate space [have been] put on maximum alert… [and] authorised to neutralise any aircraft that would violate the Confederate space.”
An official statement is yet to be issued by the Nigerian Air force regarding the development.
