A Nigerian Air Force C-130 Hercules carrying 11 military personnel was intercepted and forced to land in Bobo-Dioulasso, Burkina Faso, on Monday after allegedly entering the country’s airspace without clearance, sparking a fresh diplomatic confrontation between Abuja and the military-led states of the Confederation of Sahel States (AES).

The AES, comprising Burkina Faso, Mali, and Niger, issued a strongly worded communiqué through the state-run Agence d’Information du Burkina, condemning the incident as a violation of sovereignty and announcing that its air defences had been placed on maximum alert. The statement warned that any aircraft breaching “Confederate space” would be neutralised.

According to the AES account, Burkinabè fighter jets challenged the Nigerian aircraft, which then declared an in-flight emergency before being escorted to Thomas Sankara International Airport in Bobo-Dioulasso. The two crew members and nine passengers—all Nigerian soldiers—remain under military guard pending investigation.

As of Tuesday morning, neither the Nigerian Air Force nor the Federal Government had issued an official response. Defence sources in Abuja, speaking anonymously, described the flight as a routine logistical movement but declined to provide details on its route or mission.

Relations between Nigeria and the AES have deteriorated since January 2025, when the three junta-led states withdrew from ECOWAS, accusing Abuja of acting as a Western proxy. Since then, Burkina Faso, Mali, and Niger have banned French military overflights, expelled French troops, and deepened ties with Russia and Turkey. Analysts view Monday’s interception as a calculated show of force by the AES to assert control over its airspace and deter perceived provocations.

The incident is particularly notable as the first known interception of a Nigerian military aircraft by another African state since the 1990s Liberia crisis. Nigerian diplomatic channels have been activated, with the embassy in Ouagadougou engaging Burkinabè authorities to secure the release of the personnel and the return of the aircraft. Reports indicate that all 11 Nigerians are in good health.

The forced landing underscores the rising tensions in West Africa’s security landscape, where shifting alliances and military assertiveness are reshaping regional dynamics.