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By Myke Agunwa
Authorities in Burkina Faso have detained a Nigeria-bound aircraft after it allegedly violated the country’s controlled airspace, prompting heightened security concerns in the West African nation.
Sources in Ouagadougou confirmed that the aircraft, whose registration details were yet to be made public at press time, was intercepted after it reportedly entered Burkinabe airspace without proper clearance. Military officials said the plane was forced to land and immediately taken into custody for investigations.
Burkina Faso, which has been under military rule since 2022 following a series of coups, has tightened surveillance of its air borders amid rising regional tensions and ongoing counter-terrorism operations in the Sahel. Officials said the aircraft’s flight pattern triggered alerts, leading to swift action from the country’s air-defence units.
Although details of the crew, cargo, and exact flight origin remain unclear, preliminary reports indicate that the aircraft was not on the list of approved flights for the day, raising suspicion of a potential security breach.
Nigeria’s aviation authorities were said to have been notified of the development, with diplomatic channels already activated to clarify the incident and secure the release of the aircraft. A senior official in Abuja, who requested anonymity because he was not authorised to speak publicly, said the government was “monitoring the situation with keen interest”.
Burkina Faso’s Ministry of Transport is expected to issue a formal statement after ongoing investigations establish whether the violation was deliberate, accidental, or linked to wider regional instability.
The incident comes amid heightened sensitivity across West Africa, where several countries have experienced coups and frequent airspace shutdowns. Security analysts say the seizure underscores the increasing militarisation of air surveillance in the region and the potential for diplomatic friction if procedural lapses are not swiftly resolved.