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Nigeria: Flight disruptions, over 40 domestic aircraft grounded abroad
While over 30 airplanes are stranded overseas, a little above 10 aircraft are grounded in Nigeria due to lack of forex to acquire some major spare parts from abroad.
Aside from the grounded planes, some operators are unable to acquire new aircraft engines to replace old ones that have completed their cycles due to dollar scarcity.
Airline officials said the development might worsen the current flight disruptions being experienced by passengers occasioned by shortage of airplanes.
According to findings by our correspondents, while Air Peace, the largest Nigerian carrier, has about 15 planes stranded abroad, Dana Air, Max Air, Azman Air, Arik Air, and other domestic carriers have over 25 airplanes currently grounded abroad and locally due to lack of forex.
Operators are seeking forex to pay foreign aircraft maintenance facilities and acquire spare parts from abroad for the aircraft undergoing maintenance locally.
The Chairman of Air Peace, Allen Onyema, who said last week that the carrier spent over N78bn on aircraft maintenance last year, disclosed the airline currently has about 15 planes stranded abroad due to lack of forex.
Onyema spoke at the Annual Conference of the Nigerian Bar Association held in Abuja.
He said, “Air Peace has about USD14m stranded in the Central Bank Nigeria. It is not hidden. We also have about 15 aircraft stranded abroad. After, people will say Nigerian airlines lack capacity. They do not lack capacity; what they lack is truthful government support and ease of doing business.
“Do you know the amount this country spends on aircraft maintenance through its airlines? Air Peace alone in 2022, expended N78bn on maintenance and these funds went to foreign countries. How can local investments grow like this?”
The Managing Director, Dana Air, Jacky Hathiramani, said aside from Air Peace, other domestic carriers were battling with the problem of dollar scarcity, saying it was high time the Federal Government intervened to save the domestic airline industry.
He said, “All domestic carriers are having challenge with forex. We have about four planes looking for forex from CBN for about two years and it’s about $4m. It needs to be known that many airlines have forex issues. The CBN need to help the aviation industry, so that airlines can maintain their schedules.”
According to findings by our correspondent, Max Air needs forex to complete routine maintenance of four planes in its fleet.
Further findings show that Azman has about two airplanes abroad.
“Azman has two airplanes in Kaduna while two others are overseas. The forex scarcity is hitting hard on operators. Some of the airplanes are supposed to go to Dakota but they are still in Nigeria because of the forex issue,” an official who chose to speak under condition of anonymity due to lack of permission to comment on the matter said.
Commenting on the development, the Chief Executive Officer of Aero Contractors and former Managing Director of the Nigerian Airspace Management Agency, Captain Ado Sanusi, said the carrier was lucky not to have any aircraft stranded overseas because the company runs a maintenance facility in the country.
“Well, because Aero Contractors owns a Maintenance, Repairs Overhaul, we don’t have our planes stuck outside. Now, on the scarcity of foreign exchange, airlines rely on it because almost everything we do is tied to foreign exchange; so if there is scarcity of dollars, definitely it will affect us too. It will affect ticket price, it’ll affect everything that we do. It’s a bit challenging and I pray that this govt can tackle it because it is important that we address it once and for all.”
Special forex window
Meanwhile, the spokesperson for Airline Operators of Nigeria and Chairman of United Airlines Nigeria, Prof Obiora Okonkwo, said there was a need for the CBN to create a special forex window to save the local airline industry.
He said, “Air tickets could cost as much as N250k at this current exchange rate and cost of JETA1. It is not to exploit passengers, but rather to ensure financial integrity of airlines which is another way of ensuring air safety.”
Lamenting the challenge facing operators, Okonkwo said, “You have naira and you can’t convert it to dollar. So, the solution to this is for our minister to understand that we need a special window with the CBN to access foreign exchange.”
He, therefore, advised the new minister “should work with other agencies of government to rid the sector of speculators. There is no reason, no matter the international price of crude oil, that the aviation fuel should be delivered at a pump price more than N500. Everything you see on top of it is speculation.
He added, “The government and new aviation minister have to recognise the aviation industry as one of the essential industries in the country. It is no more for the rich only but a means of transportation.”
The Chief Executive Officer of Centurion Aviation, Group Capt Ojikutu, said, “Local airfare for a one-hour flight should be about $200 due to costs. We need to do the needful: refine fuel locally and establish MRO where maintenance can be done locally. Then airfares can come down significantly.”
Meanwhile, officials have said flight disruption may worsen over the shortage of aircraft.
By Okey Maduforo Awka
The emergence of Chief Ikeagwuonu Ugochinyere as the Minority Leader of the Federal House of Representatives has been described as a vindication of the fact that the Action People’s Party (APP ) represents the collective interests of the Nigerian masses.
Recall that recently, Ugochinyere was elected as the Minority Leader of the party in a keenly contested election of the Federal House of Representatives.
According to a statement by the Chairman Anambra state chapter of the APP Chief Chijioke Okeke, Ugochinyere had been consistent in offering himself as the voice of the people and that of the voiceless.
“It did not come to us as a surprise that our great leader High Chief Ugochinyere became the Minority leader of the Federal House of Representatives because he has always been consistent and focus towards providing himself as the only vent for the masses at the Green Chambers”
“We know his pedegre as a politician as well as a leader and he has remained focus in ensuring that the voiceless are heard and this is also a vindication of our party’s unflinching desire to provide a veritable platform in a democratic process”
Okeke further stated that the fifth columnists who had attempted to deregister the party have been put to shame adding that the party shall continue to champion the interests of the Nigerian people.
“They made failed attempt at deregistering our great party but they lost sight of the fact that the APP is firmely rooted on ground and has all that it takes to drive the wishes and aspirations of the Nigerian populace and with this recent development our traducers have been put to shame and our party is on the path of further greatness “. Okeke noted .
By Okey Maduforo Awka
Six members of the Indigenous People Of Biafra IPOB have been declared wanted by the Nigerian Police .
The six persons led by Mr Chukwuebuka Ohaechesi, include Emma Okonkwo, Jude Uwa, Gentle Okoro, Uchenna Dike, and Emmanuel Nwankwo who are said to be at large.
The were said to have fled to neighboring states in the South East hence signaling the other four Police Commands in the geopolitical zone to assist in the manhunt for them
The Police accused them of executing protests against the detaintion of the leader of IPOB Mazi Nnamdi Kanu who is currently serving jail terms in Sokoto Correction Center.
According to a statement issued by the Abia Police Public Relations Officer of the Command, ASP Eguavon Omokaro, the individuals are suspected members of IPOB who have allegedly participated in protests at various times and locations within the state.
The statement alleged that the protests were organised in connection with the continued detention of Mazi Nnamdi Kanu and demands for justice through the judicial process.
The Police Command further stated that these protests have allegedly resulted in breaches of peace and disruptions to law and order in Abia State. Consequently, the Police Intelligence Department reportedly concluded that the named individuals were among the principal organisers and coordinators of the demonstrations.
The statement further alleged that; ;
“It should be noted that on every 30th day of May, these men and their cohorts convene for the so-called remembrance of Biafra, holding clandestine meetings at various locations in the name of the emancipation of the Biafran Republic and the release of Mazi Nnamdi Kanu.”
According to the police, the six individuals were invited on several occasions for questioning in relation to the allegations against them.
The statement indicated that the first invitation was issued on 18 December 2025, followed by a second invitation on 7 February 2026, and a third invitation on 3 March 2026.
The police alleged that the individuals failed to honour all three invitations.
The statement further asserted:
“These individuals were invited by the police on several occasions. Firstly, on 18 December 2025, they failed to honour the invitation. Again, they were invited on 7th February 2026 and failed to appear. Finally, they were invited on 3 March 2026, and they also failed to present themselves before the police.” It stated.
As a result, the Abia State Police Command announced that all six individuals had been formally declared wanted.
The police appealed to members of the public to provide any reliable information that could lead to their arrest and prosecution, stating that informants would be suitably rewarded.
The declaration of the six individuals as wanted persons is linked to allegations of their participation in pro-Biafra activities, demonstrations concerning the detention of Mazi Nnamdi Kanu, and their alleged association with IPOB, an organisation that has been the subject of extensive scrutiny and security operations by Nigerian authorities.
In a statement shared on social media, VeryDarkMan argued that Wike may not fully understand the pain and trauma experienced by parents of abducted children and affected teachers. He claimed that the minister’s children were educated abroad, away from the security challenges facing many Nigerian families.Nigerian entertainment news
The activist stated that insecurity, kidnapping, and attacks on schools remain serious national concerns and should not be dismissed or reduced to political issues. He stressed that the fears and frustrations of parents whose children face security threats deserve greater attention from public officials.
VeryDarkMan further warned that political power is temporary, urging leaders to remain accountable to the people and sensitive to the challenges confronting ordinary Nigerians.
DSS Detains Novelist Okey Ndibe at Lagos Airport, Awaits Clearance from Abuja
Renowned Nigerian novelist, journalist, and academic, Okey Ndibe, was reportedly detained by operatives of the Department of State Services (DSS) upon his arrival at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport, Lagos, on Monday morning.
Ndibe disclosed his situation in a message sent while in custody, stating: “I’ve been with the SSS now for more than an hour. They’re waiting for clearance from some oga before they let me go.”
According to sources close to the writer, his detention follows a pattern that dates back to previous administrations, including that of former President Goodluck Jonathan, during which he was frequently stopped and questioned over his critical commentaries on Nigerian governance and public affairs.
However, associates noted that Ndibe has largely stepped away from active commentary in Nigerian media over the past two years, focusing instead on writing books and his academic responsibilities at University of Massachusetts Amherst, where he teaches.
A close friend of the author and former Anambra State Commissioner for Information and Public Enlightenment, C. Don Adinuba, said similar incidents had occurred several times in the past. He explained that airport DSS officials typically contacted their superiors in Abuja before eventually releasing Ndibe.
“It is a pity that this agency doesn’t update its database to enable officers on duty at the airport to know that the agency no longer regards Prof. Ndibe as a security threat to the administration,” Adinuba said.
He added that on previous occasions, the DSS had apologized to the respected author after determining that his detention was unwarranted.
As of the time of filing this report, there was no official statement from the DSS regarding the circumstances surrounding Ndibe’s latest detention. The development has raised renewed concerns about the treatment of government critics and the continued use of security watchlists affecting returning Nigerians.
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