By Enyichukwu Enemanna
Some private aircrafts operating in Nigeria are being used for money laundering, drug trafficking and other illegal activities, the country’s Minister of Aviation and Aerospace Development alleges.
Festus Keyamo, a Senior Advocate of Nigeria at the inauguration of Ministerial Taskforce Committee to checkmate illegal chartered operations in the West African country did not however mention the owners of such private jets.
In an address at the ministry’s headquarters in Abuja, Keyamo asserted that these illegal activities have made the sector lose billions of dollars and raised serious security concerns.
The minister further stated that some of those involved in the illegal activities are those who acquired licenses for non-commercial flights operations but went against the stipulated agreement of the licenses.
Addressing the committee members, Keyamo mandated that they take inventory of all non-commercial flights operators, investigate all professional licenses and checkmate their authencity as well as recommend disciplinary measures against airlines found culpable.
The eight-man committee was chaired by the Chief Executive Office of Aero Contractors, Ado Sanusi, and the committee is expected to report all findings to the minister within the next three months.
