National
Airlines’ blacklist allegation inaccurate, maligning – operators
The Airline Operators of Nigeria (AON) has said that a report alleging blacklisting of some Nigerian carriers by international aircraft lessors for breach contract, was inaccurate and maligning.
This is disclosed in a statement by AON and signed by its spokesperson, Prof. Obiora Okonkwo, on Thursday in Lagos.
According to Okonkwo, Nigerian airlines have consistently worked very hard to meet their contractual obligations with lessors in spite of a challenging business environment.
Okonkwo said that two of the airlines – Air Peace and Azman – mentioned in the report, by a national daily, had incurred losses exceeding three million dollars from lessors.
“Despite these setbacks, domestic airlines have remained committed to serving the Nigerian public and contributing to national economic development.
“The first report claimed that 13 airlines, including Aero Contractors, Air Peace, Arik, Azman, Dana, Green Africa, Ibom Air, Max Air, United Nigeria Airline and Valuejet, were blacklisted for refusing to pay lessor fees.
“The second report claimed that airline operators denied owing lessors even when the newspaper did not officially speak with the managements of the airlines it listed in its earlier report.
“For the avoidance of doubt, we categorically state that the first report is entirely false, malicious and defamatory,” he noted.
According to Okonkwo, the national daily, in its second report, concocted information to justify the first report instead of retracting it.
“We find the publication of such inaccuracies very disheartening. We see it as a calculated attempt to erode confidence and to destroy the aviation industry.
“We demand immediate retraction of the report and an apology by the newspaper with the same prominence given to the inaccurate cover stories.
“In the absence of a satisfactory response, we may be forced to file a complaint with relevant media oversight bodies, take a legal action or both, to protect our reputation,” he said.
Okonkwo noted that the Minister of Aviation and Aerospace Development, Mr Festus Keyamo (SAN), had acknowledged the challenges domestic operators faced and had made concerted efforts to create an enabling environment for the operators.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that Air Peace, in a letter dated July 17 and signed by Mr Oroma Azeez on behalf of the airline’s legal representative, Alegeh and Co. Legal Practitioners and Notaries Public, described the publication as defamatory.
The airline had asked for the publication be retracted within 24 hours.blacklistD
The airline stated in the letter that it had no existing dry lease contract and had never entered into one with any lessor since the commencement of its operations in 2013.(NAN)
Akwa Ibom State Governor, Umo Eno, has distanced the state government from the ₦700 billion fraud allegation leveled against his immediate predecessor, Udom Emmanuel, by the Network against Corruption and Trafficking, and being probed by anti-graft agency EFCC.
“I don’t know where they get those figures from because it can’t be from Akwa Ibom State; it can’t be from us – we don’t have such figures,” Eno said at a town hall meeting in the Abak area of the state on Saturday.
The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) governor condemned what he described as a vilification of the past governors of the oil-rich South-South state since the return to democracy in 1999.
Eno said, “I begin to feel that how we treat our leaders after they have put in all their efforts to serve can be very discouraging.
“We have done this consistently from Obong Attah, even the distinguished Senate President (Godswill Akpabio), we also vilified him; we went to EFCC. Now, we are doing it to Gov Udom Emmanuel.”
The governor said subjecting leaders to fraud probes after they have served their people well in office would discourage those currently in office from giving their best whilst in service.
“I’m already expecting that it will happen to me but what this does is to discourage leadership; it discourages you from giving your best, from burning out yourself because at the end of the day, the people don’t show you that gratitude,” he said.
“When a man has served his state meritoriously like Governor Udom Emmanuel did, honestly, should be honoured, and should be respected.
“I don’t see a place for this kind of vilification that is going on; it is not correct – I don’t believe it should go on.
“It is not correct, it is not truthful and we need to just dismiss it with a pinch of salt,” he added.
On Tuesday, March 4, 2025, operatives of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) detained Emmanuel for alleged ₦700 billion fraud.
This followed the petitioner’s allegations of money laundering and diversion of funds preferred against PDP’s Emmanuel, who was Akwa Ibom State governor from May 2015 to May 2023.
The petitioner alleged that Emmanuel received ₦3 trillion from the Federation Account in eight years but left a debt profile of ₦500bn and unpaid ongoing projects worth ₦300bn. He was also alleged to be unable to account for ₦700bn.
The Nigerian Human Rights Community (NHRC) has criticised the invasion of the Ikeja Electricity Company by armed officers of the Nigerian Air Force.
On Thursday, air force personnel invaded the power company’s headquarters in Lagos over the disconnection of electricity at Sam Ethnan Air Force Base, Ikeja, Lagos state.
Kingsley Okotie, spokesperson for IKEDC, said the NAF personnel vandalised the company’s office, assaulted employees, and made away with several company assets.
In a statement, Adewale Adeoye, the national president of NHRC, called on President Bola Tinubu and the national assembly to set up an independent panel of inquiry to investigate the invasion.
The coalition said the panel should identify the officers responsible for the invasion and bring them to justice.
“Invasion of private or corporate institutions by armed Airforce or soldiers should be a thing of the past after 25 years of post military rule,” the statement reads.
“The orders for the invasion by some senior officers violated the Nigerian constitution and portrayed the country as facing the prospect of brute force intervention, yet with an elected president, in a democracy.
“We are appalled that in this century, armed soldiers could forcefully enter the corporate headquarters of a strategic service provider, beat up its staff, destroy property and even threaten to shoot the workers. This is savage and shows a lack of discipline and professionalism on the part of the air force men.
“The Nigerian Airforce performs critical roles linked to national security. The constant provision of electricity is key to optimum performance. This is understandable.
“Democracy and dialogue are slow but remain the surest and legitimate means of conflict resolution. Violence, no matter the provocation, can never replace the dictates of the constitution.
“This issue should not be swept under the carpet. President Bola Ahmed Tinubu and the National Assembly are strongly urged to set up an independent panel of inquiry to identify the remote causes, the officers involved and to ascertain the extent of damage done to the property of the organisation towards compensation.”
The remains of the three siblings killed by yet-to-be-identified persons in Nnewichi, in Nnewi North Local Government Area of Anambra State, have been laid to rest amid tears in Uga community in Aguata Local Government Area of Anambra State on Saturday.
The three siblings, Chikaima Daviana Ejezie, female, nine; Chimdirim David Ejezie, male, five; and Chimziterem Dominica Ejezie, female, eight, were reportedly killed and their lifeless bodies found inside a freezer on Saturday, February 1.
It was gathered that the killers invaded their apartment while the children were inside, killed them and inserted their lifeless bodies into the freezer in one of the rooms.
The burial mass held at St. Michael’s Catholic Church, Umueze Uga, in Aguata LGA, was presided over by the Archbishop of Ekwulobia Diocese, Cardinal Ebere Okpalaeke in the presence of over 30 priests from different denominations, including royal fathers, local government chairmen, councillors, community members and other mourners.
In his homily, the Archbishop who took his preaching from the Biblical happenings from the old Testament, using Cain and Abel as an example, said the killing had been there since the creation of man, adding that the children who were killed in their early age had become martyrs.
He said, “Killing has been there since the biblical origin and God gave punishment to Cain who killed his brother. When God asked Cain ‘Where is your brother, Abel’ Cain said, ‘Am I my brother’s keeper?’ And God pronounced punishment on Cain for killing his brother.
“In the same way, curse is pronounced on anybody that has a hand in the death of these children. We condemn the killing of these children and we say anyone who has a hand in it will not know peace.”
After the burial mass, emotions ran very high as family, friends, schoolmates, and sympathisers gathered to bid a painful farewell to the three siblings.
The attendees, dressed in black, wept openly, struggling to come to terms with the tragedy that sent shock waves across the community.
With heavy emotional voice, the parents of the deceased, Mr and Mrs Udochukwu Ejezie, described the loss of their children as an unimaginable nightmare and the greatest shock of their lives.
They expressed gratitude for the overwhelming support received from the state government, Nigerian police and the community at large, while urging relevant authorities to step up investigation.
Although no arrest has been made and their killers are yet to be found, our correspondent gathered that the result of the autopsy conducted on their corpses has not been released, over one month since the incident happened.