Following close monitoring, it has been discovered that there has been a lot of illegal movements of private jets into and outside Nigeria by people o
Following close monitoring, it has been discovered that there has been a lot of illegal movements of private jets into and outside Nigeria by people of means in defiance to the Nigerian Government’s regulation on the travel restriction as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic.
On March 23, 2020, the government had shut the airports against international flights to help curb the spread of the deadly virus in the country.
It turns out that the ban is only effective by half measures. For example, a private jet – a Bombardier Express 7000 with registration number VP-CBT – controlled by All Progressives Congress’ chieftain, Bola Tinubu, on June 7, 2020 conveyed his son, Seyi, from Lagos to Stansted Airport, London, United Kingdom. Captain Giannetakis Michail piloted the luxury jet for that trip.
Incidentally, the jet registered in Wale Tinubu, Oando CEO’s name, was at the centre of the controversy at Aso Rock Villa two weeks ago after it was used to fly President Muhammadu Buhari’s Personal Assistant, Sabiu ‘Tunde’ Yusuf, from Abuja to Lagos and back.
Also, two children of oil magnate, Folorunsho Alakija – Folarin and Rotimi – were onboard a private jet with registration number VP-CFO from Lagos to Luton Airport, London, on May 22, 2020.
On May 8, 2020, six members of the late Chief of General Staff, Vice Admiral Mike Okhai Akhigbe’s family all boarded a private jet with registration number 5N-KAS from the Muritala Mohammed Airport, Lagos to Stansted Airport, London. Late Chief of General Staff, Vice Admiral Mike Okhai Akhigbe. Those on the flight include Okhai-Akhigbe Esiomekhai, Okhai-Akhigbe Uwekhai Eleose, Okhai-Akhigbe Iretekhai, Akhigbe Ogionwo and Akhigbe Aikenosi. Jet with registration number 5N-KAS
On May 16, 2020, Karl Olutokun Toriola, Vice President, West and Central Africa of MTN, was onboard a private jet with registration number FLJ611 from Spain to Nigeria with Lagos lawyer, Aisha Rimi, and four other persons. Toriola had earlier boarded another private jet with registration number D-AWIN from Lagos to London on April 18, 2020 – weeks after Nigeria’s international airports were ordered closed by the government.
Rimi is the wife of former Lagos Commissioner for Tourism and sitting Director-General of Nigerian Tourism Development Corporation, Folarin Coker.
Also, according to SaharaReporters, Belo-Osagie Yasmin, daughter of billionaire, Hakeem Belo-Osagie, a former chairman of the board of directors of United Bank for Africa, was the only passenger in a private jet with registration number D-CAWX, which flew from London to Nigeria on May 8, 2020. The estimated cost of the trip was $100,000 – N38.7m – when converted to Nigeria’s currency.
Despite the ban on international flights by many countries around the world following the outbreak of the Coronavirus, private jets have been allowed to land at the Stansted Airport and other similar facilities by the United Kingdom authorities as Britain is one of few countries to keep their borders open during the pandemic.
Between March 23 when the UK declared a lockdown to April 19, a whopping 545 private planes were said to have entered Britain, according to a report by Daily Mail. The report said 99 of these private jets came from Coronavirus-stricken countries such as Spain, United States, France and Germany at the time. More private jets from Nigeria and other countries of the world have since flown into the UK on a regular basis after that period as a result of Britain’s open border policy.
