Nigeria’s Minister of Foreign Affairs, Hon. Yusuf Maitama Tuggar, led a high-level delegation to Burkina Faso on Tuesday on behalf of President Bola Tinubu, securing the release of detained Nigerian Air Force pilots and crew while reinforcing bilateral ties amid regional tensions.

Tuggar delivered Tinubu’s “message of solidarity” to Burkina Faso’s leader Captain Ibrahim Traoré, with discussions focusing on shared regional priorities and pathways to strengthen Nigeria–Burkina Faso relations.

The visit resolved the December 8 incident in which a C-130 transport plane carrying 11 personnel made an emergency landing in Bobo-Dioulasso, leading to their detention over alleged airspace violation. Burkina Faso’s junta—part of the Alliance of Sahel States (AES) alongside Mali and Niger—had condemned the landing as a “sovereignty breach” and placed defenses on alert. Nigeria maintained the diversion was technical, en route to Portugal for maintenance.

Tuggar later posted on X: “Sustained dialogue reaffirmed diplomacy’s effectiveness in addressing sensitive issues,” stressing the importance of cohesion in West Africa.

The resolution eases strains following the AES withdrawal from ECOWAS and Nigeria’s recent cooperation with Benin against coups. Observers view Tinubu’s approach as balanced—firm on democratic principles yet pragmatic in engaging military-led neighbors.

Crew members are expected home soon, with no charges filed.