AfriPulse
The Foreign Affairs Minister, Yusuf Tuggar, has confirmed that 11 Nigerian Air Force personnel who were detained in Burkina Faso are yet to be released contrary to a claim by the Presidency.
The minister in a statement issued on Sunday in Abuja by the ministry spokesman, Mr. Kimiebi Ebienfa, said the Federal Government is actively engaging the Burkinabe authorities to resolve the matter diplomatically.
He said discussions are still ongoing over the detention of a Nigerian Air Force C-130 aircraft and 11 soldiers, but they have yet to be released.
“We are engaging them, but they are yet to be released,” Yusuf said, adding that the Ministry of Foreign Affairs has taken over the discussions to ensure the safe release of both the aircraft and the Nigerian military personnel.
The position of the ministry was changed after Arise TV journalist, Rufai Oseni debunked the presidential aide’s claims that the personnel as well as the place had been released.
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In a post on his X handle on Saturday, Oseni had said the claims were false as the 11 military officials including seven officers and four airmen on board the C-130 aircraft which made an emergency landing in Bobo Dioulasso in the south-west of the country, were arrested and detained amid suspicion that the officials had been involved in the Benin coup rescue.
“I’m reaching out on the situation involving the 7 officers and 4 airmen of the Nigerian Air Force who have been detained alongside their Lockheed C-130 Hercules aircraft since Monday in Burkina Faso,” Rufai had written.
“As you may know, the aircraft was on a ferry mission to Portugal when it developed a technical issue shortly after takeoff from Lagos, prompting a precautionary landing in Burkina Faso
“Contrary to reports from the government claiming that the crew had been released on Tuesday to continue their journey, the team is still being held by Burkina Faso authorities. This is largely because the federal government has not yet reached out officially to clarify their mission,” he added.
Source: RipplesNigeria | Read the Full Story…
