C-130 aircraft diverted during ferry mission to Portugal after crew detected technical issue
A Nigerian Air Force transport aircraft was forced to make a precautionary landing in Burkina Faso on Sunday after the crew detected a technical problem during a ferry mission to Portugal.
The C-130 aircraft, which had taken off from Lagos on 8 December, was diverted to Bobo-Dioulasso, the nearest available airfield, after the crew “observed a technical concern”, according to a statement from the Nigerian Air Force.
The military said the landing was conducted “in accordance with standard safety procedures and international aviation protocols” and confirmed that all crew members were safe and had “received cordial treatment from the host authorities”.
The incident occurred during what the Nigerian air force described as a routine ferry mission, a non-combat flight typically used to transport aircraft between locations for maintenance, repositioning or delivery purposes. The C-130 Hercules is a four-engine turboprop military transport aircraft widely used for tactical airlift operations.
The Nigerian Air Force has not disclosed the nature of the technical issue that prompted the diversion, nor has it specified how many crew members were on board.
In its statement, the military said “plans are ongoing to resume the mission as scheduled” and thanked authorities in Burkina Faso for their assistance.
The air force added that it “remains professionally committed to strict compliance with operational procedures and safety standards, ensuring the protection of its personnel while fulfilling its constitutional mandate”.
The diversion comes at a time of heightened security concerns in the Sahel region, though there is no indication the landing was related to anything other than technical difficulties.
