Detained Nigerian Soldiers Implicated Nigeria In Their Confession– Burkina Faso Military Official Reveals

In the face of the diplomatic row between Nigeria and Burkina Faso military leadership, report attributed to Burkinabe Civilian Intelligence claims that Nigerian airmen who are currently detained in Burkina Faso, implicated the Nigeria in their earlier statement to the Burkinabe authority.

Nigeria’s military C-130 aircraft which was confiscated by the Burkinabe leadership after the aircraft reportedly made an emergency landing in Burkina Faso. The Nigeria’s military had stated that the aircraft was enrout Portugal from Abuja and had developed fault midair resulting in its forced emergency landing in Burkina Faso.

However, the Burkinabe leadership believes the Nigeria military is being insincere. The country’s military leadership claim that the aircraft was intercepted in Burkina Faso over its violation of the country’s airspace. The Burkinabe authority also claims that the aircraft had sophisticated tramission equipment and that the Nigerian airmen onboard the aircraft, reportedly made live transmission to the French military in a suspected espionage.

Also, the Burkinabe civilian intelligence claims that the eleven Nigerian soldiers had in their earlier statement after they had been intercepted and forced to land, disclosed that they were merely “following orders”, a statement that semantically contradicts that of the Nigeria’s military. And which the Burkina Faso’s authority considers as an indictment of the Nigeria’s government. Hence, the military authority of Burkina Faso believes that the Nigeria’s airmen were spying on the country in collaboration with the French government.

Reports suggest that the eleven Nigerian soldiers have been kept in solitary confinement while the Nigeria’s government under president Bola Ahmed is exploring diplomatic options to secure their release.

Recall that similar incident happened in 2023 involving four French nationals who were arrested by the Burkinabe military authority and accused of spying on the country for the French government. The four Frenchmen were held in Burkina Faso for a year before their release in December 2014 after the French government reportedly met the conditions given by the Burkinabe military authority for their release.