The House of Representatives has urged the Federal Government to leverage Nigeria’s diplomatic channels with ECOWAS and the African Union (AU) to secure the release of Nigerian soldiers and a military aircraft currently held in Burkina Faso.
Gatekeepers News reports that the resolution was passed during Tuesday’s plenary following the adoption of a motion sponsored by Ojuawo Adeniyi, a lawmaker representing Ekiti State.
Background
Earlier this month, the Confederation of Sahel States (AES) accused an aircraft carrying 11 Nigerian soldiers of violating Burkinabe airspace. The AES is a breakaway regional bloc comprising Burkina Faso, Mali and Niger Republic.
Malian junta leader Assimi Goïta described the aircraft’s landing as an “unfriendly act carried out in defiance of international law,” while the AES announced that its member states had been authorised to neutralise any aircraft found violating their airspace.
The incident coincided with Nigerian troops conducting air strikes in Benin to help foil a coup attempt.
The Nigerian Air Force (NAF) had said the C-130 aircraft was on a ferry mission to Portugal. On December 11, the Minister of Foreign Affairs, Yusuf Tuggar, confirmed that both the soldiers and the aircraft remained in Burkina Faso.
The Motion
Leading the debate, Adeniyi warned that the prolonged uncertainty surrounding the fate of the aircraft and its crew could negatively affect national morale, civil–military relations, and Nigeria’s image within the sub-region.
He stressed the need for swift, coordinated and transparent action to safeguard national security interests and uphold Nigeria’s sovereignty.
The motion was unanimously adopted after Deputy Speaker Benjamin Kalu, who presided over the session, called for a voice vote.
Consequently, the House mandated its committees on foreign affairs, defence, air force and national security to interface with the Ministry of Defence and relevant intelligence agencies to ensure the prompt resolution of the matter and report back within two weeks.
