Nigeria's Foreign Minister Yusuf Tuggar has formally apologised to Burkina Faso for the unauthorised entry of a Nigerian military jet into Burkinabè airspace, an incident that led to the detention of 11 Nigerian servicemen.
Tuggar's spokesperson told the BBC that the detained personnel had been released and were due to return to Nigeria, without specifying when.
The plane was reportedly en route to Portugal when it encountered a technical problem and had to land in Burkina Faso, according to the Nigerian Air Force.
The unauthorised landing escalated a diplomatic row with the Alliance of Sahel States (AES), which comprises Burkina Faso and its neighbours, Mali and Niger.
In response, AES condemned the act as an unfriendly act and has placed its air forces on high alert, allowing them to neutralise any aircraft violating their airspace. This comes amid a reorientation away from the Economic Community of West African States (Ecowas), with AES member states gravitating closer to Russia.
On Wednesday, Tuggar led a diplomatic mission to Ouagadougou to engage with military leader Captain Ibrahim Traoré. During a national broadcast, Tuggar acknowledged some irregularities regarding flight over-flight permissions, extending an apology for the incident.
Despite the personnel's release being confirmed, the timeline for their return remains unclear. Both Nigeria and Burkina Faso's diplomatic teams agreed to improve communication and pursue efforts towards bilateral cooperation and regional integration.
