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The Nigerian Air Force (NAF) crew and aircraft, earlier detained in Burkina Faso, resumed their journey to Portugal after their release on Thursday, officials said.
The crew, made up of 11 Nigerian personnel, was travelling to Portugal for scheduled aircraft maintenance when the NAF C-130 aircraft made an emergency landing in Bobo-Dioulasso, Burkina Faso, on December 8, 2025.
Nigeria’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs said the landing was a precautionary measure taken after the aircraft developed a technical issue.
The ministry’s spokesperson, Kimiebi Ebienfa, confirmed the development to the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN), saying, “Yes, they have been released.”
Ebienfa said the aircraft and crew were continuing to Portugal as originally planned.
“They are not coming to Nigeria but proceeding to Portugal for the servicing of the aircraft. Will leave for Portugal today.”
He said the release of the crew followed diplomatic efforts by a high-level Nigerian delegation sent to Burkina Faso by President Bola Tinubu.
The delegation was led by the Minister of Foreign Affairs, Yusuf Tuggar, and included the Director-General of the National Intelligence Agency, Mohammed Mohammed; the Chief of Policy and Plans of the Nigerian Air Force, Air Vice Marshal A. Y. Abdullahi; Nigeria’s Permanent Representative to ECOWAS, Olawale Awe; and the Chief of Protocol at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Wahab Akande.
Burkina Faso authorities confirmed on Wednesday that the aircraft and its 11 crew members had been released.
Earlier, the Nigerian Air Force said the C-130 aircraft was on a ferry mission to Portugal and landed at the nearest airfield for safety reasons, in line with international aviation rules.
However, Mali’s military leader, Assimi Goita, speaking on behalf of the Confederation of Sahel States, had described the landing as an “unfriendly act carried out in defiance of international law” and warned that aircraft violating the airspace of member states would be neutralised.
