Nigeria's Foreign Minister Yusuf Tuggar has formally apologized to Burkina Faso for the unauthorized 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 flying to Portugal when it developed a technical problem and had to land in Burkina Faso, according to the Nigerian Air Force.
The unauthorized landing sparked a diplomatic row with the Alliance of Sahel States (AES), which includes Burkina Faso, Mali, and Niger.
In a statement, AES characterized it as an unfriendly act and raised member states' air forces to maximum alert, authorizing them to neutralize any aircraft found violating their airspace.
All three AES states, currently under military rule, have distanced themselves from the West African regional bloc, Ecowas, and fostered closer ties with Russia.
Tuggar visited Ouagadougou to address the incident with military leader Captain Ibrahim Traoré, acknowledging irregularities concerning flight authorizations and expressing regret over the incident.
It remains unclear when the military personnel will return to Nigeria, but they are reported to be in high spirits. Both nations have committed to maintaining regular consultations and enhancing bilateral relations.
