₦airaland Forum

Tuggar spoke on Thursday at the ECOWAS Commission in Abuja when TheCable asked him about the status of the soldiers in a joint press briefing with Olushegun Bakari, his Beninese counterpart.

On Monday, the Confederation of Sahel States (AES) accused an aircraft carrying 11 Nigerian soldiers of violating Burkinabe airspace.

AES is a breakaway West African regional union made up of Burkina Faso, Mali and Niger Republic.

Assimi Goita, the Mali junta leader, described the landing as an “unfriendly act carried out in defiance of international law”.

The AES said it authorised its member states to neutralise any aircraft violating its airspace.

The development came at the same time Nigerian troops carried out air strikes in Benin to help foil a coup.

Ehimen Ejodame, director of public relations at NAF, said the crew observed a technical concern which necessitated a precautionary landing in Bobo-Dioulasso, a city in Burkina Faso, with the nearest airfield.

Ejodame said the landing was in accordance with standard safety procedures and international aviation protocols.

There were unconfirmed reports that Burkinabe authorities detained the Nigerian military officers, and later released them.

Tuggar said talks are ongoing with Ibrahim Traoré, Burkinabe junta leader, to resolve the matter.

“We are discussing how we can resolve this delicate matter as quickly as possible, and we’re talking. 
So it’s something that is being handled diplomatically,” he said.

When asked to confirm if the soldiers are still in Burkina Faso, Tuggar replied: “Yes, they are”.

In addition, Bakari clarified that the NAF aircraft saga in Burkina Faso had nothing to do with the support Nigeria provided to foil the coup attempt in Benin.

Tuggar affirmed his counterpart’s statement.

“Absolutely, it was on its way to Portugal and it developed a technical problem and was forced to land,” Tuggar said.

“And this is part of ICAO regulations, it’s under international law. 
When you’re flying and you have a problem, you land in the nearest airport, and it can happen to anybody.

“Tomorrow, it can be a Burkinabe plane flying, let’s say, to Kenya or somewhere, and then it’s forced to land in Kano or Maiduguri or anywhere else. It can be any other country.”

Tuggar expressed confidence in resolving the matter quickly.

Lanretoye:
Military said they have been released,minister said they are in talks...who is deceiving who

Lanretoye:
Military said they have been released,minister said they are in talks...who is deceiving who

Mrfixitt:
Tinubu is a mad man that must removed from Aso villa come 2027

Mrfixitt:
Tinubu is a mad man that must removed from Aso villa come 2027

APOSTLECHUMA:
Those 3 countries may be looking for war with Nigeria and Nigeria can't defeat the 3.

Wickedtruths:
There is something these guys aren't telling us.

Mrfixitt:
Tinubu is a mad man that must removed from Aso villa come 2027

shortgun:
Henceforth, I'll always believe sahara reporters more than the government.

Kindered:
Sahara reporters is the only credible, non brown envelope news outlet in Nigeria.

mactoni91:
Tinubu Government.
A Government of Propaganda.

After allegedly paying off most Nigerian media houses to whitewash the narrative.

If they truly believe their own hype, let them try Burkina Faso.

That country is battle ready, and this is not the kind of fight Nigeria should be bluffing about. The only global power that could realistically back Nigeria in such a confrontation is the United States, and even that support is far from guaranteed. Yet this government is busy playing tough, ignoring geopolitical realities.

Tinubu’s biggest strategic blunder was dragging Nigeria into Francophone West African politics, starting with the Benin Republic intervention. That move opened a dangerous door Nigeria was never prepared to walk through.

The Benin Republic situation was never just a coup.
It was a signal, regional, ideological, and geopolitical.

Unfortunately, this government seems more interested in propaganda than in understanding the forces at play.

And propaganda does not win wars.

Lanretoye:
Military said they have been released,minister said they are in talks...who is deceiving who