By Suleiman Umaru and Lateef Adegbite
With the support of Vladin Putin of the Russian Federation and XI Jinping of the Asian country of China and Kim Jong Un, the North Korea President, who were said have fully armed the Burkina Faso military, making one of the most powerful in the African Continent, that it could effectively contain the activities of Ja’at Nuusrat al-Islam wa al -Musilimin, JNIM, terrorists Group, in the country’s Northern region forests Cap. Ibrahim Traore, appears to have sent jitters down the spines of other African countries and the Terrorist figherts.
The JNIM, terror groups, which had succeeded in spreading their men to Nigerian forests which had successfully metamorphosed into the Bandits Group, Ansaru, Lakaruwa and the Mahmuda groups to terrorise the north western states of Zamfara, Sokoto, Kaduna and Katsina including the north central states of Kwara, Benue and Plateau and are moving towards the southern Nigeria forests, appears to have realized that the game is up.
The JNIM, terror group, fighters who may have been shuttling between Burkina Faso, Republic of Niger, Mali and the Nigerian forests, with motorcycles shipped through the Cotede’Ivore five major seaports and who were said to have made several attempts to force the AES, Junta Leaders into capitulation and negotiation may have been disappointed with the turn of events.
While Capt. Traore and the other AES Leaders have refused to bow to pressure from several quarters to negotiate with the terrorists to end terrorism in the country, the situation in Nigeriaa appears worrisome as Kidnapping has become more pronounced in Niger, Kebbi and Kogi states in the recent time and huge ransoms paid to the kippers through the negotiators which includes Ahmad Gumi, an Army Brigadier General, rtd, and now a Clergyman.
Capt. Traore, may have sent a signal to the Sahel region terrorists that Burkina Faso Faso, northern forests would no longer be accommodated, let alone be allowed to plan and carry out their nefarious activities in the country’s the air force, acting on reliable information are ready to strike in their camps and hideout at any given time.
This may have informed why the AES, country, recently carried out a multiple and targeted successive air strikes against the killer gangs’ positions killing hundreds of them in the forest where they were said to have gathered for their meeting to plan their next line of action and attacks.
The few of them who were said to have escaped were said to have found themselves in Nigerian and Ghana forests essentially to strategize their operations. Given that Capt. Traore of Burkina Faso, Generals AAbdulrahmane TChiani and Assimi Goita of Mali, had put their countries’ Airforce men on the red alert to ground any aircraft around its airspace may have given the Burkinabe Airforce Authorities audacity to ground NAF C-130, aircraft, on December 8, 2025, for allegedly entering the country’s airspace without authorisation.
The Leadership of the Confederation of AES, had said that the Nigerian aircraft in Burkinabe airspace which is currently at war with JNIM, terrorists’ groups, allegedly sponsored by the former colonizer, France and Algeria, was very suspicious and constituted a violation the Sahel State Sovereignty that could not be tolerated.
The grounded NAF, C-130, was said to be piloted by two Crew members and have nine other passengers on board, all military personnel. The two Crew members and nine passengers were said to have been promptly detained on the orders of the Burkinabe Authorities to ensure that it was not spy jet from France.
The Burkinabe Authorities may have taken the bold initiative to ground the NAF, C-130, because of the close working relationship between Presidents Bola Ahmed Tinubu and Emmanuel Macron of France, who has been accused of funding the terrorists operating in the Sahel region and had plotted severally to destabilize the region in order to install puppets that would give him greenlight to return to continue the exploitation of the Sahel States gold, lithium, uranium and other mineral resources and rare earth elements and freely export the items.
The Burkinabe Authorities had justified their action for grounding and detaining the NAF C130 and its two Crew members and nine other Passengers on Board because ‘’it did not process overflight clearance’’.
The detention of the NAFC130, may have informed why the Confederation of AES, had sent a message to the Authority of Heads of States and Government, of the Economic Community of West African States , ECOWAS, to watch it in giving approval for aircrafts from the region to pass through AES airspace, as ‘’ the bloc had put its air and anti-aircraft defence systems on the red alert to neutralize any aircraft that would violate the Confederate airspace’’ .
In spite of the confirmation of the Confederate AES, Junta Leaders statement that the NAF C130, was grounded, detained, including the crew and the passengers, but Ehimen Ejodame, Nigerian Air force Commodore and Director of Information, NAF, who may have spoken the mind of Sunday Kelvin Aneke, an Air Vice Marshall, and Chief of Air Staff, CAS, that was not grounded, let alone being detained.
He had said that that the NAF, C130 aircraft was not grounde butwas ‘’diverted to the country by the Pilot due to a technical fault’’ that was said to have resulted during a ferry mission in Portugal on December 8, 2025.
The Nigerian Airforce Commodore, may have made Nigerians to believe that following ‘’takeoff from Lagos, the nation’s Commercial nerve Centre, the Crew had observed a technical concern which necessitated a precautionary Landing in Bobo- Dioulasso, in Burkina Faso, being the nearest available airfield -in line with standard safety procedures and international aviation controls which the Burkina Faso Authorities may not have found funny.
He had given his words that plans were already underway for the NAF C1130 aircraft to continue its mission as scheduled mission reassuring the public of ‘’the security agency’s unwavering commitment to operational professionalism, stringent safety standards and the protection of its personnel while fulfilling their constitutional responsibilities’’.
The grounding and detention of the NAF, C13, aircraft by Burkina Faso Government, in the northern region of Bo-Douloso, described as a home of the terrorists that had had been liberated by the country’s Troops , and, may have informed why the Nigerian President and a close ally of the Benininoise Leader may have acted on his requests to order the Leadership of NAF, to deploy fighter jets to enter the neighbouring Benin and take over the country airspace to dislodge the alleged coup plotters who had taken firm control of National Television station before it gains ground.
The Nigerian President, who was said to be working closely with President Macron of France to quash the coup to avoid a repeat of what had happened in the Sahel region, where the former colonizer had lost the mining and export of gold in Burkina Faso, Mali and uranium in Niger Republic had confirmed deploying fighter jets and ground troops to Beni Republic to help foil a Coup attempt by a group of Benininoise soldiers was based on two separate requests from President Talon .
The message was very clear that the Nigerian President may not have acted on his own volition to order the NAF, to takeover the neighbouring Republic of Benin airspace without the approval of President Patrice Talon. He had confirmed that ‘’the Talon’s government issued two separate requests for help, including for’’ immediate Nigeria air support’’.
A statement from the Presidency shows that the President first ordered NAF, ‘’to deploy fighter jets to enter Benin and ‘’takeover the airspace to help dislodge the coup plotters from the National Television station and a military Camp where they had regrouped to strike again’’. It is not surprising why the Nigerian Leader had no option but to order additional ground troops to be sent to the French-speaking country to forestall violence.
Nigerians would want President Tinubu to show the same seriousness in saving President Talon of Benin Republic from being removed from power by aggrieved soldiers in tackling the terrorists activities in the north eastern states of Borno, Yobes states and north western region including the north central states of Kwara, Benue Plateau and Kogi, home state of Lt. Gen. Waid Shaibu, Chief of Army Staff, CoAS, under the Tinubu’s Administration. Let us hope that President Tinubu, who appears to be mobilizing for his 2027, re-election bid, would take the advice of Nigerians seriously to end terrorism and Banditry in the country.
