Burkina Faso Frees Detained Nigerian Air Force Crew: Tinubu’s Envoy Meets Junta Leader Traoré
By: Abudu Olalekan
The wait is finally over. The Nigerian soldiers detained in Burkina Faso are free. You know how tense things get for this Sahel region? E be like say war go break out. But diplomacy win this time. Abuja just send big men go Ouagadougou. And the result? Our boys are coming back home.
It was a close shave. Very close. The drama started when that Nigerian Air Force aircraft make a forced landing. You know how aviation wahala be. One minute you dey fly, next minute engine trouble. The pilot no get choice o. He land for Bobo-Dioulasso. Nearest airfield. Simple logic right? But for Burkina Faso, e no look simple.
The junta there, led by Captain Ibrahim Traoré, no see am like that. They see am as insult. The Confederation of Sahel States (AES) even shout say na “unfriendly act.” Omo, the accusation heavy pass mountain. They talk say Nigeria defy international law. Can you imagine? Just technical fault turn to international crime. The soldiers been there for nearly two weeks. Family members dey cry. NAF dey worry.
But Tinubu no dey sleep. He know say if he no act fast, the wahala go big pass necessary. So he call his Foreign Affairs Minister, Yusuf Tuggar. “Go there,” he tell am. “Fix am.”
Wednesday come. Tuggar land Ouagadougou. Him and the team meet Traoré. Closed door meeting. You know how those meetings be. Nobody know exactly wetin dem discuss, but the vibe shift after that.
Alkasim Abdulkadir, the spokesperson, come out later. He talk say the matter don settle “amicably.” Big word. But e mean say peace don return. The delegation heavy sha. NIA DG Mohammed Mohammed dey there. Air Vice Marshal Abdullahi dey there. Even the ECOWAS rep, Olawale Awe, follow go. Dem no carry small team go that one.
Before the meeting, Nigeria don dey defend ourselves. NAF insist say na technical fault. “We follow international standard,” they talk. “Safety first.” But the Sahel guys no want hear am. They feel say Nigeria dey do them. Now that the boys are free, the tension cool down small.
Tuggar even carry message from Tinubu. “Solidarity and fraternity,” he tell Traoré. You see how him play am? No be fight. Na brotherly love. The discussion even pass the wahala. Dem talk about security. Terrorism dey worry everybody for West Africa. So dem agree say make dem dey consult regular. Make dem fight terror together.
“Both sides agreed to sustain regular consultations,” Abdulkadir talk. See? E no be only about the plane wahala. E about the bigger picture. The region fragile sha. ECOWAS and AES no dey see eye to eye. So this release? E big pass gold. E show say dem fit still talk without shooting bullet.
The soldiers are free. That is the main thing. But the lesson clear. Flying for Sahel nowadays no be small thing. You need to be careful. One mistake, dem go hold you. But thank God for government intervention. The boys go see their family again. The diplomatic standoff cool down. For now.
But make we no deceive ourselves. The underlying issue still dey there. The mistrust. The tension. E just reduce small. But e still dey. As the soldiers dey pack their bag go come Naija, the big men dey think of how to make sure this kind wahala no happen again. Because next time, e fit cost more than just diplomatic talk.
