Nigerian Army Denies Any Deliberate Violation of AES Airspace

The Nigerian Air Force has formally rejected accusations of intentionally violating the airspace of the Confederation of Sahel States (AES), following reports that one of its aircraft was forced to land in Burkina Faso.

🛬 Precautionary Landing in Bobo-Dioulasso

In an official statement released on Monday, Nigerian military authorities clarified that a C-130 military transport aircraft, operating on a mission between Lagos (Nigeria) and Portugal, had to perform a precautionary landing in Bobo-Dioulasso.According to the Air Force, the aircraft diverted to “the nearest available aerodrome”, in full compliance with international aviation safety procedures.

Nigerian officials confirmed that the entire crew is safe and that they were “warmly received by the local authorities” upon arrival.

✈️ Initial Mission: Lagos → Portugal

The aircraft was flying from southwestern Nigeria on an international route and was not involved in any operation related to the AES territories, Abuja emphasized.The Nigerian Army insists the incident was purely technical in nature and not a deliberate breach of Sahelian airspace.