Burkina Faso releases 11 Nigerian troops after 'unauthorised' plane landing

Burkina Faso releases 11 Nigerian troops after 'unauthorised' plane landing. The West African nation has released 11 Nigerian military personnel who were detained following an "unauthorised" emergency landing of a cargo plane in its second-largest city, Bobo-Dioulasso.

According to the Association of Sahel States (AES), the C-130 aircraft entered Burkina Faso's airspace without clearance, branding it as an "unfriendly act". The AES is a breakaway regional bloc from Economic Community of West African States (Ecowas) that accused the larger bloc of interfering in its member states following military coups.

The Nigerian authorities, however, claim the plane made an unplanned stop at Bobo-Dioulasso airport due to technical issues on its way to Portugal for a ferry mission. The incident has raised eyebrows given the timing, coming just a day after Nigeria launched airstrikes at a military camp in Benin where some soldiers linked to a foiled coup were reportedly hiding.

Nigeria's actions are said to be in line with Ecowas protocols following a request from the Beninese authorities who had been affected by the recent unrest. The region is currently in a state of emergency, as stated by Omar Touray, president of the Ecowas Commission, citing the fragility of democratic institutions and security challenges facing member states.

The release of the 11 Nigerian troops comes amid growing tensions between Nigeria and its neighbours over regional security issues. A domestic test flight in Niger state had also crashed earlier, resulting in both pilots surviving without major injuries.

this is a bit wild... i mean nigerians get detained for landing in burkina faso without clearance, but at the same time, its all good when they're doing airstrikes in benin? nigeria's got some explaining to do here. and whats up with this regional security thingy? it feels like its just an excuse for countries to point fingers at each other instead of actually helping each other out. anyway, glad no one was seriously hurt during that domestic test flight crash . hope these 11 guys get a safe ride back home now

omg this is crazy what's goin on w/ nigeria & burkina faso tho? i mean 11 soldiers just chillin in bobo-dioulasso for days? seems fishy. maybe they shoulda asked for help instead of sneakin in w/ a cargo plane

and can we talk about the timing? airstrike in benin yesterday & now nigerian troops released... it's like nigeria's tryna send a signal, but to who? Ecowas? and what's up w/ the regional security issues? is nigeria just tryna play hero or somethin'?

This incident with the cargo plane landing at Bobo-Dioulasso airport has some curious implications . On one hand, you have the Nigerian military personnel detained due to what appears to be a lapse in air traffic control procedures, which could be seen as a breach of Burkina Faso's sovereignty. On the other hand, considering Nigeria's actions in Benin and its apparent cooperation with Ecowas protocols, it raises questions about the boundaries between regional security cooperation and national interests.

It also highlights the complex web of relationships within West African politics, where regional blocs like AES operate as counterbalances to larger organizations like Ecowas. The fact that the 11 Nigerian troops have been released without any serious charges is a pragmatic move, but it may be seen as an attempt to smooth over tensions and maintain regional stability.

The timing of this incident, just before Nigeria launched airstrikes in Benin, also suggests that there are deeper strategic considerations at play .

I'm not buying this whole story . I mean, an emergency landing due to technical issues? Really? That's like saying a plane just happens to land in Bobo-Dioulasso because it was feeling lazy. I don't think so. And what about the fact that Nigeria was just doing some airstrikes in Benin and now they're claiming it was all part of Ecowas protocols? Not buying it .

And have you seen the timeline on this thing? It's like they want us to forget something. First, the plane lands without clearance, then they claim it was a technical issue, and then suddenly it's all about regional security issues. Let's not get too distracted by all the spin . I think we should be looking for more than just a simple explanation here .

I'm also wondering what's going on with the Ecowas Commission and Omar Touray. Are they just trying to deflect attention from something else? The timing of this whole thing just seems too convenient to me . I need some more context before I can even begin to believe this story .

just saw that Burkina Faso released 11 Nigerian troops after a plane landed without clearance... I don't get why the plane didn't have permission to enter their airspace. It sounds like an easy mistake but what if they were on a super secret mission? also, Nigeria's response about technical issues seems kinda fishy given the timing of the airstrikes in Benin. Was it just a coincidence that the troops got released now?

so nigeria's all clean now? they say it was a technical issue with the plane... but why would that happen on the way to portugal of all places?! and now they're gonna try to play it cool after the airstrikes in benin, like no big deal... meanwhile, ecowas is still trying to keep things together over here. sounds like a whole lot of mess to me.

omg i just heard about this and i'm literally still trying to process it like what even is going on here? so nigerian troops are detained in Burkina Faso for landing a plane without clearance but now they're released... sounds fishy to me and then you got the whole situation with ecowas and nigeria's actions over in benin... i mean i get that regional security is important but it feels like everyone's playing tug of war can we just resolve our differences peacefully? anyway i guess this incident will definitely make for a interesting history lesson next semester

I mean come on what is going on here... Burkina Faso releases 11 Nigerian soldiers they can't even be trusted with a plane , and now Nigeria's all like "it was a technical issue"... don't believe it . I'm starting to think that Ecowas is just a bunch of countries playing games with each other... like a big game of chicken . And what's up with the timing? Just a day after launching airstrikes in Benin... are they trying to send a message or something? . This whole thing just smells fishy .

this whole story smells like a setup to me... first, the plane lands in Burkina Faso's airspace without clearance? that's already suspicious, right? and then they release the Nigerian troops saying it was due to technical issues? come on, that's not buying it... I mean, what about the timing? just a day after Nigeria launches airstrikes in Benin? seems like they're trying to deflect attention from something. and let's not forget about the Ecowas protocols - if there are growing tensions between Nigeria and its neighbors over regional security issues, why would they be following their own rules so strictly now?

I THINK IT'S SO WEIRD THAT NIGERIA SENT THOSE TROOPS TO BURKINA FASO FOR A CARGO FLIGHT BUT THEY ENDED UP GETTING DETAINED BECAUSE THE PILOT DIDN'T HAVE CLEARANCE TO LAND . AND NOW 11 OF THEM ARE FREE AGAIN, BUT IT'S STILL PRETTY SUSPICIOUS THAT IT HAPPENED JUST A DAY AFTER NIGERIA LAUNCHED THOSE AIRSTRIKES IN BENIN. IS SOMETHING FISHY GOING ON HERE?

This incident is getting outta hand. I mean, one day you're helping out some neighboring country with a military coup situation, and the next thing you know, your own planes are landing in some random airport without clearance? It's like both sides are playing chicken, waiting to see who blinks first. And now we got these 11 Nigerian troops being released, and it just feels like a mess. I'm all for regional cooperation and whatnot, but come on, folks! Can't you all just communicate properly?

This whole situation is so weird . First, a plane lands without clearance, that's not normal . Then Nigeria says it was just a technical issue on its way to Portugal, but the timing is suspect . Just a day after they launched airstrikes in Benin, and now they're releasing 11 troops? It feels like a PR move to me . And what's up with all these regional security issues? It's getting pretty tense between Nigeria and its neighbors . I'm not saying one side is definitely in the wrong, but something doesn't add up . Maybe there are more details we're not being told?

I'm still thinking about this plane incident in Burkina Faso... They released those 11 Nigerian soldiers but I wonder if it's just a diplomatic move or if Nigeria is trying to send a message. I mean, the timing of all these airstrikes and military coups in West Africa is really suspicious. It feels like something bigger is going on here.

And what's with Ecowas' reaction? Are they trying to assert their authority over other member states? The Association of Sahel States (AES) seems pretty upset about it too... I wish we had more info on the situation on the ground in Benin and Niger. It's not just about security threats, there are human rights concerns involved.

The pilots who crashed that domestic test flight in Niger were lucky to be alive! That must have been a harrowing experience for them. And now this plane incident is adding to all the uncertainty... I'm keeping an eye on developments in West Africa, it's definitely not a region to ignore right now

can you imagine if it was a regular plane? like a commercial one i mean what's with all these military planes flying around our airspace without clearance?! and now niger is all over the news again its not good for their rep, but at the same time, nigeria can't just sit back and do nothing when they have to protect their soldiers in benin. its a whole mess, i don't know what's gonna happen next

I'm still trying to wrap my head around this whole situation . I mean, who lands a cargo plane in Burkina Faso without clearance? It's like, what's the plan here? The Nigerian government is saying it was just a technical issue on its way to Portugal, but come on, that doesn't add up .

And now they're releasing these 11 troops, but I'm still not sure why. Did they get caught in the middle of some sort of security drama? The timing is definitely suspicious, especially with Nigeria launching airstrikes just a day ago .

I'm also wondering what's going on between Nigeria and its neighbors over regional security issues. It feels like everyone's got their own agenda here . And what about the chaos in Benin? Is this all connected somehow? I guess we'll have to wait for more info to figure out what's really going on

I'm not sure if I believe that Nigerian plane just lost control and landed in Burkina Faso . I mean, come on, it's a cargo plane with 11 troops on board, how does it just happen? And now they're saying technical issues, but wouldn't that have been reported before landing? Also, what about the timing of this whole thing? Just a day after Nigeria launches airstrikes in Benin... it's like something is going on here, but I don't know if it's all part of some grand plan . On one hand, I think Nigeria has every right to protect its own interests and citizens, especially when they're involved in some shady business. But on the other hand, Burkina Faso should've checked with Ecowas first before letting a cargo plane land in their airport . And what about those 11 troops? Were they just chillin' at Bobo-Dioulasso, or was there more to it than that? I need some answers here .