The Minister of Aviation and Aerospace Development, Festus Keyamo, has revealed that some private aircraft operating in Nigeria are being used for money laundering, drug trafficking, and other illegal activities.
News About Nigeria reports that Keyamo made this disclosure at the Ministry of Aviation in Abuja on Thursday, during the inauguration of a Ministerial Taskforce Committee aimed at curbing illegal chartered operations in the country.
While the minister did not disclose the names of the airlines involved, he mentioned that these unlawful activities have caused the aviation sector to lose billions of dollars and have raised security concerns.
Keyamo noted that some individuals who obtained licenses for non-commercial flight operations have violated the terms of their licenses.
“It has come to my attention, through a series of disturbing reports, that the practice of illegal charter operations is thriving within the aviation industry, thereby undermining the efforts of the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority and other regulatory bodies,” Keyamo stated.
“These illicit activities have not only resulted in significant financial losses to the Federal Government but have also raised security and safety concerns as the operations of private aircraft owners have remained largely unchecked and unregulated. This has also resulted in using these private aircraft for other illegal activities.”
Addressing the taskforce committee members, Keyamo tasked them with taking inventory of all non-commercial flight operators, investigating all professional licenses for authenticity, and recommending disciplinary measures against airlines found culpable.
The eight-member committee is chaired by the Chief Executive Officer of Aero Contractors, Ado Sanusi, and is expected to report its findings to the minister within the next three months.
