It was a tense 24 hours for Nigerian military officials, but the situation has now been resolved. Burkina Faso has released 11 Nigerian Air Force officers who were detained after their transport plane made an unexpected landing on Burkinabè soil.

The officers two crew members and nine military passengers were aboard a Nigerian Air Force C-130 aircraft. It touched down in the city of Bobo-Dioulasso on Monday. 

While Nigerian authorities called it a “technical emergency landing” during a trip to Portugal, Burkina Faso saw it differently.

The Burkinabè government stated clearly that the plane entered their airspace without permission. Territorial Administration Minister Emile Zerbo said the sudden arrival triggered an immediate security response. Defence and intelligence units were quickly deployed to the scene.

In a strong-worded reaction, the Alliance of Sahel States a bloc consisting of Burkina Faso, Mali, and Niger described the incident as a violation of their sovereignty. They called Nigeria’s move an “unfriendly act” and placed their air forces on high alert.

Despite the sharp statements, security officials in Burkina Faso later told the BBC that the Nigerian officers were questioned, cleared of any wrongdoing, and allowed to return home.

Relations between Nigeria and the three Sahel nations have been frosty. All three are ruled by military juntas that have accused Nigeria of overstepping in regional security matters, particularly in Benin. Earlier this year, they exited ECOWAS, the West African bloc led by Nigeria.

Since then, Burkina Faso, Mali, and Niger have grown closer to each other and to Russia, while pushing out Western partners like France.

In a related move, Niger announced new restrictions on goods coming from Nigeria, citing security concerns. This signals that diplomatic friction in the region is far from over.

For now, the officers are safe and back in Nigeria. But the incident reveals just how fragile peace and cooperation have become in West Africa.