The Federal Government may be shutting down the General Aviation Terminal (GAT) of the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport, Abuja, following reports that the VIP section of the airport has become a hub for money laundering, drug and human trafficking, among other criminal activities. The GAT is the wing dedicated to private jet owners and other aircraft charter services at the airport.
Festus Keyamo, Minister of Aviation and Aerospace Development, while receiving the report of a seven-member ministerial task force on illegal private charter operations and related matters, said the issue of illegal charter operations by private jets and aircraft owners, who obtain licences under the Permit for Non-Commercial Flight (PNCF), but use the aircraft for illegal transactions had become endemic in the aviation sector.
The Minister, while identifying the problem as a national security issue, said the inability of the Nigeria Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA) to regulate the operations of PNCF holders had led to illegal charter services, saying that since the services could not be tracked, they had facilitated money laundering, drug and human trafficking, and illegal entry and exit into the country.
The Chairman of the Ministerial Task Force, Captain Ado Sanusi said their findings showed that the illegal activities not only posed risks to aviation safety but also created an uneven playing field for legitimate operators. The task force suggested that the GAT should immediately be shut down, reorganised, and reopened for business, as pointed out by the ICAO security audit.
The Chairman of the Ministerial Task Force, Captain Ado Sanusi said their findings showed that the illegal activities not only posed risks to aviation safety but also created an uneven playing field for legitimate operators. The task force suggested that the GAT should immediately be shut down, reorganised, and reopened for business, as pointed out by the ICAO security audit.
