President of Burkina Faso, Capt. Ibrahim Traoré, was all smiles as Nigeria’s Minister of Foreign Affairs, Amb. Yusuf Maitama Tuggar, on Wednesday, December 17, 2025, delivered a message of solidarity and fraternity from President Bola Ahmed Tinubu.

Tuggar conveyed the message on Wednesday during an audience with President Traoré in Ouagadougou, where discussions focused on cooperation across several sectors, including security and the fight against terrorism.

A photo of the meeting published by security blogger Zagazola Makama showed Capt. Traore beaming with smiles as during the meeting with the Nigerian delegation led by Tuggar.

Speaking after the meeting, the minister said Nigeria and Burkina Faso shared longstanding ties and common security concerns, noting that the engagement was aimed at reinforcing mutual understanding and neighbourly relations.

“We exchanged views on cooperation in several sectors. We also discussed the Nigerian aircraft that made an emergency landing in Burkina Faso,” Tuggar said.

He acknowledged procedural irregularities in the authorisation process for the aircraft’s entry into Burkina Faso’s airspace, expressing Nigeria’s regret over the incident, while emphasising Abuja’s respect for Burkina Faso’s sovereignty and international aviation protocols.

The minister also distanced the Federal Government from remarks made by a Nigerian political party official alleging maltreatment of Nigerian military personnel in Burkina Faso.

“We clearly dissociate ourselves from those comments and express our sincere regrets to the government of Burkina Faso,” Tuggar said.

Tuggar commended President Traoré and his government for their spirit of fraternity and the treatment accorded to the occupants of the aircraft during their stay in Burkina Faso.

He further said discussions covered broader regional efforts to tackle terrorism and violent extremism, noting that Burkina Faso had recorded notable successes in counter-terrorism operations.

The minister reaffirmed Nigeria’s commitment to sustained dialogue, regional solidarity and enhanced cooperation with Burkina Faso and other countries in the sub-region to address shared security challenges. (Adapted from a report by Zagazola.org)

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