Former Ekiti lawmaker and APC chieftain, Senator Ayodele Arise, has called on President Bola Tinubu to consider military action against Burkina Faso to secure the release of Nigerian soldiers currently held in the West African country.
Speaking on Saturday during an Arise TV programme, Arise acknowledged the Nigerian Armed Forces’ ongoing engagements at home amid insurgency and banditry but insisted that a military option should not be ruled out.
Citing Israel’s 1976 Entebbe Raid as precedent, he argued that decisive action could compel Burkina Faso’s authorities to reconsider.
“I think we should move and do something. Once they know we intend to act, I am confident the Burkinabe President will rethink his position.”
“Yes, we should maintain friendly relations with our neighbours, but they must understand they cannot undermine our country,” he said.
Arise also expressed support for Nigeria’s recent military intervention in Benin to quell a coup attempt, dismissing claims that President Tinubu acted hastily or breached constitutional procedure by acting before notifying the National Assembly.
His comments came less than 24 hours after Foreign Affairs Minister Yusuf Tuggar confirmed that the 11 Nigerian military personnel detained following an emergency landing in Burkina Faso remain in custody.
The soldiers were aboard a C-130 aircraft that made an emergency landing in Bobo Dioulasso, southwest Burkina Faso, and were arrested on suspicion of involvement in a rescue linked to the Benin coup.
Burkina Faso’s Minister of Territorial Administration, Emile Zerbo, said the aircraft entered Burkinabe airspace without authorisation.
Arise also touched on domestic legislative matters, particularly the Senate’s adoption of a “take-a-bow-and-go” approach in screening ambassadorial nominees.
While he did not fault the process, he argued that more rigorous engagement would help lawmakers better assess nominees for sensitive diplomatic posts.
“There are two ways to see this. Either the President and security agencies have done thorough due diligence, or Senators should interrogate nominees to ensure their competence.”
“The opportunity for deeper engagement has been lost,” he noted.
