—— Says the NAF crew is safe and has received cordial treatment from the host authorities.

The Nigerian Air Force (NAF) has dismissed reports alleging that one of its C-130 aircraft violated Burkina Faso’s airspace, insisting the landing in the West African nation was purely precautionary and guided by international aviation safety standards.

In a statement on Tuesday, the Director of Public Relations and Information at NAF Headquarters, Air Commodore Ehimen Ejodame, explained that the aircraft was en route to Portugal on a ferry mission when the crew detected a technical concern shortly after takeoff from Lagos on 8 December 2025.

According to him, the crew made a precautionary landing at the nearest available airfield Bobo-Dioulasso, Burkina Faso in line with global best practices.

“The crew observed a technical concern which necessitated a precautionary landing in accordance with standard safety procedures and international aviation protocols,” Ejodame said.

Contrary to reports claiming that Burkinabe authorities detained the 11 personnel on board for airspace violation, NAF confirmed that all crew members were safe and had received cordial treatment from the host country.

Plans are ongoing to resume the mission as scheduled, while thanking Nigerians for their support and assuring the public of continued adherence to safety standards.

The clarification comes after the Alliance of Sahel States comprising Mali, Niger, and Burkina Faso issued a strongly worded statement describing the landing as an “unfriendly act.”

The alliance claimed the Nigerian aircraft lacked permission to fly over Burkinabe territory and warned that its air forces had been placed on maximum alert, with orders to neutralise any aircraft violating their airspace.

Despite the tensions, the NAF maintains that the emergency landing was strictly an aviation safety procedure, not a hostile or unauthorised act.