NAF personnel released after Burkina Faso emergency landing, set to fly from Accra to Portugal
About 11 personnel of the Nigerian Air Force (NAF) are set to depart Accra, Ghana, for Portugal on Saturday following their release after an emergency landing incident in Burkina Faso.
The Minister of Foreign Affairs, Ambassador Yusuf Maitama Tuggar (OON), confirmed the development in a statement posted on his official X handle on Saturday. He said the officers had been “temporarily detained following an emergency landing of the aircraft in Burkina Faso.”
According to Tuggar, the personnel arrived safely in Accra on 19 December 2025 aboard a Nigerian Air Force C-130 (913) aircraft after the issue was resolved through “sustained diplomatic engagement and peaceful dialogue between the Government of the Federal Republic of Nigeria and the authorities of Burkina Faso.”
He explained that the diplomatic efforts led to “the release of the officers and the clearance of the aircraft for onward movement.”
On arrival in Accra, the officers were received by a representative of the President of Ghana, Colonel Larry Gbevlo-Lartey, Ghana’s Special Envoy to the Alliance of Sahel States, alongside officials of the Nigerian High Commission in Accra and senior officers of the Ghana Air Force.
The personnel were “accorded a warm reception and hosted by their Ghanaian counterparts” ahead of their onward journey.
Confirming their next movement, Tuggar stated that “the Nigerian Air Force personnel are scheduled to depart Accra for Portugal on Saturday, 20 December 2025.”
He expressed the Nigerian government’s appreciation to the governments of Burkina Faso and Ghana for their cooperation, reaffirming Nigeria’s commitment to resolving regional issues through “dialogue, mutual respect, and constructive diplomatic engagement.”
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