A Nigerian Air Force aircraft carrying 11 soldiers was forced to land in Burkina Faso on Monday after reportedly violating its airspace.
The development was revealed by the state-run news agency, the Agence d’Information du Burkina, with a statement issued from the Confederation of Sahel States.
Translated from French, the statement reads, “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.”
According to the statement, an investigation by Burkinabe authorities “highlighted the absence of authorisation to fly over the territory of Burkina Faso for this military device.”
Condemning the incident, the AES called it a violation of sovereignty, adding that it “condemns with the utmost firmness this violation of its airspace and the sovereignty of its member States.”
The AES warned that “air and anti-aircraft defences of the Confederate space put on maximum alert…were authorised to neutralise any aircraft that would violate the Confederate space.”
As of the time of filing this report, neither the Nigerian government nor the Nigerian Air Force had commented on the incident.