Festus Keyamo, the Minister of Aviation and Aerospace Development, has revealed that some private jet owners are using their aircraft for money laundering and drug trafficking.
Keyamo made this statement on Thursday during the inauguration of a ministerial task force committee on illegal private chartered operations and related issues in Abuja.
The minister outlined a five-point agenda to guide him and his team in fulfilling the mandate of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu. This agenda includes focusing on safety, infrastructure, support for local operators, human capacity development, and revenue generation. Keyamo emphasized that the ministry has identified critical issues within the aviation industry that need to be addressed urgently.
“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, undermining the efforts of the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority and other regulatory bodies,” he 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.”
Keyamo noted that the misuse of private aircraft has escalated to other illegal activities. “Last week, the National Security Adviser alerted us about the increase in money laundering, drug trafficking, and other illegal activities through the use of private aircraft in the country,” he said.
He added that Private Non-Commercial Flight (PNCF) operators have become more audacious, continuing their illegal operations with the help of Air Operator Certificate (AOC) holders who collect tolls and list these illegal charters under their AOCs. “We have received alarming reports that some crew members have not attended mandatory simulator trainings for nearly three years and are flying with fraudulently-obtained renewed licenses. Many of these individuals are operating planes registered under PNCF but are conducting illegal charter operations with impunity,” Keyamo concluded.
