Keyamo Vows Sanctions After Private Jet Lands on Delta Highway, Calls It Security Breach

A private aircraft with registration N986BC landed on a concrete road still under construction in Ogwashi-Uku, Delta State, on Wednesday morning — and the Minister of Aviation and Aerospace Development, Festus Keyamo, says that won't go unpunished.

Keyamo described the incident as a grave regulatory and security concern. In a statement on Thursday by his media aide, Tunde Moshood, the minister said the aircraft attempted to land at about 7:43 a.m. local time but couldn't access the Asaba Airport runway before touching down on the unfinished road.

A video reviewed by PREMIUM TIMES showed vehicles parked behind the roadway as the aircraft prepared to depart, while dozens of residents gathered to watch. Men in reflective jackets — believed to be road construction workers — were also seen near the plane. One bystander was heard saying in Nigerian Pidgin, “Make e take off o,” hoping for a safe departure. Cheers erupted when the plane successfully took off.

“The Honourable Minister, while expressing gratitude that no lives were lost, described the incident and the events that followed as a matter of grave regulatory and security concern,” the statement read.

The minister said Air Traffic Control was only notified after the aircraft was already airborne, meaning the flight departed without the necessary operational clearance. He called the development unacceptable and a serious breach of aviation regulations and security protocols.

The Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA) has grounded the aircraft since it arrived in Lagos and suspended the operator's Permit for Non-Commercial Flight. The NCAA has placed the flight under comprehensive regulatory review and is investigating both the incident and the unauthorised departure.

Keyamo said investigators will examine the aircraft’s operational, maintenance, airworthiness, and flight records. The NCAA is working with the aircraft operator, the Nigerian Airspace Management Agency, and other stakeholders to establish the full facts.

“The NCAA will undertake a thorough review of all operational, airworthiness, maintenance, and flight-related records associated with the aircraft and operator, and will not hesitate to impose further enforcement actions as may be warranted under the applicable civil aviation regulations,” the statement added.

The minister also disclosed that relevant security agencies have taken custody of the flight crew, who are cooperating with investigators. He assured Nigerians the investigation would be transparent and that appropriate actions would follow.

“No individual or operator, irrespective of status, will be permitted to circumvent established aviation procedures designed to safeguard lives and maintain the integrity of Nigeria’s airspace system,” Keyamo said.

This incident comes days after PREMIUM TIMES reported how an ex-senator’s wife breached airport security protocol to escort her husband to the foot of a waiting aircraft. The latest case has raised fresh questions about enforcement of aviation rules in Nigeria.