The Federal Government has grounded a private aircraft and suspended its operator after the aircraft landed on a road near Asaba and later took off without approval from aviation authorities.
Minister of Aviation and Aerospace Development, Festus Keyamo, announced the action in a statement on X. He described the incident as a serious violation of aviation rules and security procedures.
According to Keyamo, the aircraft attempted to land at Asaba International Airport at about 7:43 a.m. local time. The crew abandoned the landing attempt and diverted the aircraft to a concrete road under construction in the Ogwashi-Uku area of Delta State.
Witnesses reported that all four crew members left the aircraft safely after the landing. They later travelled to Asaba by road. No one suffered any injuries.
Keyamo raised concerns about the aircraft’s later departure from the scene. He said the aircraft took off at about 11:02 GMT without approval from aviation regulators. Air Traffic Control only received notification after the aircraft had already departed.
“The aircraft had no clearance to take off again,” he said.
After the aircraft arrived in Lagos, the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority grounded it and began an investigation.
The authority has also started a regulatory review to determine why the aircraft made the emergency landing and why the crew departed without permission.
As part of its enforcement measures, the NCAA suspended the operator’s Permit for Non-Commercial Flight and ordered a full review of its operations, maintenance records, airworthiness documents and flight records.
Keyamo said the NCAA may take additional enforcement action under aviation regulations.
He also confirmed that security agencies took the crew members into custody for questioning as investigators continue their work.
Authorities say they will examine the incident in detail and strengthen compliance with aviation safety and regulatory procedures.
