Former Minister of Aviation and Nigerian ambassador-designate, Femi Fani-Kayode, has praised President Bola Tinubu following the release of 11 Nigerian Air Force (NAF) personnel and a C-130 aircraft detained in Burkina Faso.
Fani-Kayode described the development as a major diplomatic success, attributing it to restraint, dialogue, and effective engagement between both countries.
The NAF C-130 aircraft, which was on a ferry mission to Portugal, made an emergency landing in Bobo Dioulasso about two weeks ago after developing technical faults. The incident later escalated into a diplomatic issue after Mali’s junta leader, Assimi Goita, described the landing as an unfriendly act and warned Sahel states against perceived airspace violations.
Following intense diplomatic efforts, the Burkinabe authorities released the aircraft and its crew on Wednesday. The Nigerian delegation to Ouagadougou was led by the Minister of Foreign Affairs, Yusuf Tuggar, who held high-level talks with Burkina Faso’s military leader, Captain Ibrahim Traoré.
Reacting to the outcome, Fani-Kayode took to X to commend the federal government’s handling of the situation.
“Great news that our 11 military personnel and C-130 aircraft have been released by the Burkinabe authorities and returned home,” he wrote. “This is a great victory for restraint, level-headedness and diplomacy. I commend the efforts of President Bola Tinubu and the Foreign Affairs Minister, Yusuf Tuggar.”
The release brings an end to weeks of uncertainty surrounding the fate of the Nigerian personnel and highlights the role of diplomacy in resolving regional security tensions.