Insider Source Exposes Regulatory Inefficiency at NCAA with Records of Major Incidents Involving Private Jets

*Minister Launches Investigation, Promises to Make Result Public

Chinedu Eze

Dissatisfied with what is going on, former officials of the Directorate of Airworthiness Standards (DAWS) of the Nigeria Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA) have made some documents public, exposing the compromises taking place in the Directorate, which they fear may jeorpardise safety in Nigeria’s airspace without urgent intervention.

This is coming as the Nigeria Safety Investigation Board (NSIB) on December 14, 2025 and December 16, 2025 respectively issued reports indicating major aircraft incidents involving unscheduled aircraft:  Hawker 800XP with eight persons onboard, crash landing at the Mallam Aminu Kano International Airport, Kano; and a Cessna 172 aircraft which crashed on approach at the Sam Mbakwe International Cargo Airport, Owerri, but none of the four persons onboard the aircraft was hurt.

DAWS in a Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) ensures civil aircraft are safe and meet high standards by overseeing certification, maintenance, and ongoing compliance with the International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO) rules, handling aircraft registration, issuing Certificates of Airworthiness, approving Maintenance, Repair and Overhaul (MROs) and developing technical standards to keep aircraft airworthy throughout their life, ensuring reliability for flight operations.

The former staff of DAWS who are still working in the industry alleged that the officials in charge of the directorate have compromised the standards by issuing certificates to Aircraft Maintenance Organisations (AMOs) authorising them to conduct maintenance on aircraft that operate in Nigeria without adequately auditing the facilities, insisting that this has led to some aircraft not properly maintained before they are certified airworthy and released for flight operations.

In reaction, the Minister of Aviation and Aerospace Development, Festus Keyamo, who confirmed access to the documents, has launched investigation into the allegation and said that he would make the results of the investigation public.

The Minister, who spoke to THISDAY, expressed worry that since the documents have been in the public space, concerned authorities have not reacted to the allegations, saying that his Ministry is conducting comprehensive investigation into the matter, insisting that, as the Minister of Aviation, he cannot allow anything that would threaten air safety under his watch.

Keyamo recalled when he had to ground Dana Air fleet after carrying out thorough investigation and confirmed that the airline had not kept to the maintenance standards, as espoused by the regulation.

“Safety is number one for me and I must act in accordance to the law. Nobody should blame me when I take action after conducting thorough investigation on the matter because, as a Minister, I must not allow any safety threat to Nigeria’s airspace under my watch; no matter what the so-called professionals may say. This was how I ordered investigation on Dana Air and when the result came out, it confirmed my fears and I grounded the airline to save lives of Nigerians,” he said.

THISDAY had contacted the Director of Airworthiness Standards, Victor Goyea and also the Assistant General Manager (Airworthiness), T. T Fadairo, who indicated no interest in commenting on the allegations.

THISDAY also spoke to the Director of Public Affairs and Consumer Protection, Michael Achimugu, who, after reading the document containing the allegations, said that the allegations were weighty; therefore, he would have to speak with the Director General, NCAA before issuing a response.

“Greetings. I have read through. Presently at an embassy for biometrics. I will be unable to share my opinion until I have reported to the DGCA and preliminary investigations have been conducted. These are weighty allegations, I cannot just speak off the top of my head,” he told THISDAY.

The insider sources alleged that there are growing concerns about questionable practices within the Nigeria Civil Aviation Authority, particularly in the Directorate of Airworthiness Standards, the department responsible for ensuring that every aircraft flying in Nigeria’s airspace is genuinely airworthy.

“Credible sources and documents suggest that under (senior officials) watch, serious irregularities may be undermining aviation safety. These issues go far beyond bureaucratic lapses; they strike at the heart of air safety. When oversight becomes compromised, the consequences can be deadly; not only for passengers in flight but also for people on the ground who may one day become victims of a preventable crash. This is not a political matter. It is a national emergency that affects everyone, including the elite who travel by private jets.

“For years, allegations of malpractice have circulated within the Directorate, the NCAA and the aviation industry, but recent findings point to a rapid escalation of these unethical activities. Central to these reports (names withdrawn).  Evidence suggests that he has played a central role in questionable approval processes involving maintenance organizations and aircraft operators, often in ways that compromise established safety procedures.

“According to multiple industry sources, one such compromised approval is already linked to a serious incident that occurred two years ago, involving Jabiru J430 aircraft with registration number 5N-CCQ, owned by Air First Hospitality and Tours. The aircraft was issued a special certificate of airworthiness, but on its first flight after the certification few days later, it crashed on its very first flight on 1st August 2023 in Oba-Akran, Lagos.

Documents made available to THISDAY showed when Air First Special Certificate of Airworthiness and eventual NCAA approval and other documentations, which showed lack of thoroughness in audit before issuing AMO certificates.

The insiders said ideally the foreign AMO (Aircraft Maintenance Organisation) first submits a formal application with supporting documents for NCAA’s review. These are carefully examined to ensure the company has the facilities, personnel, and procedures to maintain Nigerian-registered aircraft safely. Then there will be Inspector Nomination and On-Site Audit: Two Airworthiness Safety Inspectors are nominated to travel to the company’s location outside Nigeria for an on-site inspection.

“During the audit, they evaluate the organisation’s maintenance practices, personnel competence, facilities, and equipment. All observations and deficiencies (findings) are documented.

This will be followed by Post-Audit Review and Findings and Upon return, the Inspectors analyse their audit reports.

However, the insiders regretted that what is currently obtained is that these same processes are compromised and three accidents have taken place since 2023, including the Jabiru J430 aircraft with registration number 5N-CCQ, owned by Air First Hospitality and Tours.

There is also the Hawker 800XP aircraft with nationality and registration marks 5N-ISB at Malam Aminu Kano International Airport, Kano State, as NSIB said that the aircraft, operated by Flybird Aircraft Management Services Limited, departed Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport, Abuja, on Sunday, 14 December 2025, at approximately 09:20 hours local time, “during the approach phase into Kano, the flight crew reported a landing gear indication anomaly and requested multiple low passes over the runway to allow air traffic controllers to visually confirm the landing gear position.”

On Tuesday, December 16, NSIB reported another accident involving a Cessna 172 aircraft, with nationality and registration marks 5N-ASR, operated by Skypower Express.The occurrence took place around 20:00 hours local time at Sam Mbakwe International Cargo Airport, Owerri, Imo State.

In a statement, NSIB said the aircraft was originally en-route from Kaduna International Airport to Port Harcourt International Airport when the crew declared an emergency, necessitating a diversion to Owerri.

“The aircraft subsequently crashed in the approach area of Runway 17. There were four people on board at the time of the accident, with no fatalities reported so far,” NSIB said.

Three non-schedule aircraft have been involved so far in major incidents, but as the Minister assured, it is expected that action will be taken to stem what may threaten safety in the industry.