Burkina Faso has released eleven Nigerian military officers who were detained after their Air Force transport aircraft made an unapproved landing in the country on Monday.

The officers, who were aboard a Nigerian Air Force (NAF) C-130, were cleared to return home following initial checks by Burkinabè authorities, amid heightened suspicions linked to Nigeria’s involvement in the recent Benin coup attempt. The aircraft touched down in the western city of Bobo-Dioulasso.

According to the BBC, the officers were questioned briefly before being allowed to depart.

The Nigerian Air Force explained that the flight was on a ferry mission to Portugal but had to make an emergency landing due to a technical fault. NAF emphasized that the crew acted in accordance with international aviation safety protocols and confirmed that the personnel were treated well during their temporary stay.

However, Burkina Faso, along with other members of the Alliance of Sahel States (AES)—which includes Mali and Niger—offered a much sterner account. The country’s Territorial Administration Minister, Emile Zerbo, accused the aircraft of violating national procedures by entering Burkina Faso without authorization.

In a joint statement, the AES described the landing as a breach of airspace and sovereignty, calling it an “unfriendly act” and expressing ongoing concern over Nigerian military movements in the region following the Benin operation.

Despite the personnel’s release, tensions remain high. The AES has placed its air and anti-aircraft defenses on maximum alert and warned that any future unauthorized aircraft entering their airspace could be “neutralized.”

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The incident underscores rising mistrust between Nigeria—the region’s dominant military power—and the AES bloc, which has increasingly asserted its independence and readiness to respond forcefully to perceived threats in West Africa.