Nigeria authorities react afta Burkina Faso arrest dia military personnel for 'landing plane without permission'

Authorities for Nigeria don react to one report wey concern dia military personnel plus dia aircraft NAF C-130 wey land for Burkina Faso.

Authorities for Burkina Faso bin arrest some Nigerian military personnel wey make emergency landing for Bobo-Dioulasso, di second-largest city for Burkina Faso on Monday, 8 December without permission.

Di Nigerian Airforce clear am say di aircraft wey make emergency landing for Burkina Faso bin dey on one ferry mission to Portugal wen e make diversion.

For statement, NAF say di crew bin take off from Lagos but dem observe one technical concern wey compulsory precautionary landing for Bobo-Dioulasso, Burkina Faso, di nearest airfield, in accordance wit standard safety procedures and international aviation protocols.

"NAF crew dey safe and dem receive cordial treatment from di host authorities. Plans dey go on to resume di mission as scheduled.

"Di Nigerian Air Force appreciate di support received during dis period and assure di public say NAF remain professionally committed to strict compliance wit operational procedures and safety standards, and ensure di protection of dia personnel while fulfilling dia constitutional mandate," di statement tok.

Wetin Alliance of Sahel States tok

But wetin di Nigerian govment tok about di incident dey different from di position of Burkina Faso military govment plus di Alliance of di Sahel States. Dem bin say di aircraft enta Burkinabè airspace without prior authorisation and dem force am to land.

Di Sahel bloc (AES) bin condemn di incident as "violation of dia airspace and di sovereignty of dia member state." Dem describe di landing as an "unfriendly act carried out in disregard of international law and aviation regulations."

In a dramatic escalation, di Sahel bloc tok say dem don put dia air-defence and anti-aircraft systems on maximum alert and dem authorise member states to "neutralise any aircraft wey violate dia airspace."

One joint statement from di Alliance of Sahelian States (AES), wey comprise di three military-led West African nations - Burkina Faso, Mali and Niger also say dem don put dia air defense assets on maximum alert following di incident.

"Di aerial and anti-aircraft defenses of di confederal area dey on maximum alert, and dem dey authorized to neutralize any aircraft wey violate our airspace," di statement tok.

Di incident bin come against a backdrop of growing mistrust and shifting alliances across West Africa.

Burkina Faso, Mali and Niger bin form di AES, wen dem comot from ECOWAS earlier dis year.

Dia exit bin scata established regional security cooperation - particularly within di multinational task forces deployed against insurgency and terrorism for di Sahel and Lake Chad region.

For dis volatile environment – wey be say na frequent coups, insurgency, and cross-border instability - airspace and border control don bicom especially sensitive issues.

Di AES member states now dey treat unauthorised military overflights as potential threats, not accidents.

Just bifor di landing incident, Nigeria bin deploy jets and troops go di neighbouring Benin Republic to help suppress one mutiny – wey signal Nigeria increased regional military activity.

Di move bin draw different reactions across di region.

While NAF tok say di incident na routine precautionary diversion, AES and Sahel countries interpret am as blatant violation of sovereignty – wey expose deep distrust and di fragility of regional cooperation.

Di detention of Nigerian personnel plus di seizure of di aircraft represent symbolic and practical assertion of AES new posture on air control.

Burkina Faso, Mali, and Niger, all dey under military rule and dey grapple wit long-standing jihadist insurgencies.