By Joshua Tosin Ogunsakin 
Tension rose on Monday after at least 11 Nigerian soldiers were detained in Burkina Faso, one of the three junta-led nations that withdrew from ECOWAS following a string of military coups.
Niger, Mali and Burkina Faso had earlier been suspended by ECOWAS, prompting the trio to form the Confederation of Sahel States (AES) as a counter-bloc. Analysts say the alliance could have expanded if last week’s attempted coup in Benin Republic had succeeded. Nigeria played a central role in helping foil the plot before ECOWAS deployed its standby force to stabilise the neighbouring country.
It remains unclear whether the Nigerian Air Force C130 aircraft carrying the 11 soldiers was part of that standby mission or another deployment linked to the crisis in Benin. President Bola Tinubu had earlier confirmed the presence of Nigerian troops in the country.
AES, however, announced that the aircraft violated Burkina Faso’s airspace and was compelled to land in Bobo Dioulasso after what it described as an in-flight emergency. The incident was first reported by Agence d’Information du Burkina, the state news agency.
In a strongly-worded statement, AES accused Nigeria of breaching the sovereignty of a member state, saying the aircraft had no authorisation to enter Burkinabe airspace. It added that two crew members and nine soldiers were aboard the plane.
The bloc said its investigation revealed “a lack of authorisation” and insisted it would not tolerate what it called an unfriendly act. It warned that its air and anti-aircraft defence units had been placed on maximum alert with orders to neutralise any aircraft violating its confederal space.
AES said the decision was in line with an earlier declaration issued by its College of Heads of State in December 2024.
As of the time of filing this report, the Nigerian Government has released no official reaction to the detention of the soldiers or the claims made by AES.