Nigerian soldiers recently released by the Burkinabe authorities have arrived safely in Accra, Ghana, following their detention in Burkina Faso.
The Minister of Foreign Affairs, Yusuf Tuggar, confirmed the development in a statement posted on X on Saturday.
He said the eleven personnel of the Nigerian Air Force were transported from Burkina Faso to Accra aboard a Nigerian Air Force C-130 aircraft.
According to the minister, the soldiers were released about 10 days after a high-level Nigerian delegation, led by him, held diplomatic engagements with Burkina Faso’s President, Ibrahim Traoré, and senior officials of his administration.
The release followed tensions triggered by allegations from Burkina Faso and the Alliance of Sahel States (AES), which accused Nigeria of violating Burkinabe airspace after a Nigerian military aircraft made an emergency landing in the country.
The AES comprises Burkina Faso, Mali, and Niger, all of which have withdrawn from ECOWAS and currently maintain strained relations with the regional bloc.
The Nigerian Air Force had earlier dismissed the allegations, explaining that the aircraft was en route to Portugal when a technical issue forced the crew to make a precautionary landing in Bobo-Dioulasso, Burkina Faso.
The Air Force said the decision was taken in line with international aviation safety protocols.
Mr Tuggar disclosed that the officers arrived in Accra on Friday and were expected to continue their journey to Portugal, their original destination, on Saturday.
On arrival in Ghana, the soldiers were received by Larry Gbevlo-Lartey, Ghana’s Special Envoy to the AES and representative of the Ghanaian President, alongside officials of the Nigerian High Commission in Accra and senior officers of the Ghana Air Force.
The foreign affairs minister said the personnel were given a warm reception and hosted by their Ghanaian counterparts, marking the end of a diplomatic episode that tested relations between Nigeria and the Sahel states.
