Eleven Nigerian soldiers have been released, 10 days after being detained in Burkina Faso.
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs spokesperson, Kimiebi Ebienfa, confirmed the development to The PUNCH on Wednesday night.
“The soldiers have been released. I just confirmed with our Head of Mission in Burkina Faso,” he said.
It remains unclear when the soldiers are expected to return to Nigeria, as their travel plans could not be verified.
The soldiers were held by Burkina Faso’s military authorities after their aircraft made an unscheduled landing in Bobo-Dioulasso on December 8.
The landing followed a technical issue shortly after departing Lagos while en route to Portugal.
Burkina Faso had detained the personnel and aircraft over alleged airspace violations, describing the incident as a breach of sovereignty.
Investigations by the Confederation of Sahel States and Burkinabe officials reportedly confirmed that the aircraft did not have prior authorisation to enter Burkinabe airspace.
President Bola Tinubu acted swiftly after days of diplomatic discussions, sending a Special Envoy to Ouagadougou to engage with Burkinabe authorities.
Meanwhile, the Nigerian Air Force assured all that the crew remained safe and were treated courteously during their detention.
The Air Force also emphasised that the precautionary landing was carried out in accordance with standard safety procedures and international aviation protocols.
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