Former representative of the Kaduna Central Senatorial District in the National Assembly, Senator Shehu Sani, has raised concerns over the diplomatic friction between Nigeria and Burkina Faso.
In a tweet on his X handle on Sunday, Decided 14, 2025, Sani demanded that Captain Ibrahim Traore, the leader of the Burkinabè military junta, release eleven Nigerian Air Force (NAF) personnel currently being held by his administration.
He described their continued confinement as “unconscionable and condemnable,” further cautioning Traore that a leader surrounded by enemies should not create additional vulnerabilities.
Sani wrote, “The leader of the Burkina Faso Military Junta Ibrahim Traore should release the 11 Nigerian Air Force personnel held by his Government. Their continued detention is unconscionable and condemnable. My advice to him;When a man has many enemies by his door,he shouldn’t open his window.”
The crisis began on December 8, 2025, when a NAF C-130 transport aircraft, carrying two crew members and nine military passengers, was forced to make an emergency landing at the Bobo-Dioulasso airfield.
The aircraft was reportedly on a ferry mission to Portugal when it encountered technical difficulties shortly after departing Lagos.
While Nigeria maintained the landing followed international aviation safety protocols, the Burkinabè government and the Confederation of Sahel States (AES) labeled it an unfriendly act and an unauthorized breach of their sovereign airspace.
Despite conflicting reports earlier in the week suggesting a possible release, Nigeria’s Minister of Foreign Affairs, Yusuf Tuggar, confirmed as of Thursday that the personnel remained in custody.
The Nigerian government has reiterated that the emergency landing was a life-saving necessity and continues to pursue high-level diplomatic channels to secure the unconditional return of the airmen and their aircraft. View, More,
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