Some private jets used for money laundering, drug trafficking – Keyamo

Minister of Aviation and Aerospace Development, Festus Keyamo, has accused some private jet owners of using their aircraft for money laundering and drug trafficking.

Keyamo said this on Thursday during the inauguration of a ministerial task force committee on illegal private chartered operations and related matters in Abuja.

The minister said he had set a five-point agenda that would guide him and his team in discharging the mandate of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu when he assumed office.

He said the five-point agenda encapsulates safety, infrastructure, support for local operators, human capacity development and revenue generation.

Accordingly, he said the ministry has identified issues within the aviation industry “that we must tackle headlong”.

“It has come to my attention, through a series of disturbing reports, that the practice of illegal charter operations is thriving within the aviation industry, thereby undermining the efforts of the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority and other regulatory bodies,” he said.

“These illicit activities have not only resulted in significant financial losses to the Federal Government but have also raised security and safety concerns as the operations of private aircraft owners have remained largely unchecked and unregulated.”

This, Keyamo said, has also resulted in using private aircraft for other illegal activities.

“Last week, the National Security Adviser wrote to us, alerting us to the spike in money laundering, drug trafficking and other illegal activities through the use of private aircraft in the country,” the minister said.

“It appears that Private Non-Commercial Flight (PNCF) operators have become increasingly emboldened, continuing their illegal operations with the assistance of Air Operator Certificate (AOC) holders who collect tolls and list these illegal charters under their AOCs.

“We have received alarming reports that some crew members have not attended mandatory simulator trainings for nearly three years and are flying with fraudulently-obtained renewed licences.

“Many of these individuals are operating planes registered under PNCF but are conducting illegal charter operations with impunity.”

To combat the illegal operators, the minister announced the immediate composition of a ministerial task force on illegal private charter operations and related matters.

Police Service Commission portal crashes over constables recruitment

There was fear among successful candidates being recruited for the Constable cadre into the Nigeria Police Force following a recent crash witnessed by the recruitment portal of the Police Service Commission.

It was learnt that the portal, containing the list of successful candidates for the recently concluded recruitment, could not be accessed again by the anxious Nigerians who are waiting to join the force.

The development fuelled speculations in various quarters that the commission had succumbed to pressure by the police high command, who had earlier demanded immediate review of the list.

Daily Trust had reported how the simmering disagreement between the PSC and the police over the recruitment of constables is affecting service delivery and the timeline to increase the manpower of the security outfit.

However, some of the candidates, in separate interviews with our correspondent after their failure to access the PSC website, submitted that they were shocked that such development could happen.

“I was shocked that the recruitment portal being managed by the PSC crashed. Till now, I’m yet to recover from the shock because I spent my time, my money and other resources before I could get to this stage,” one of the successful candidates narrated.

Responding, the spokesman of the commission, Ikechukwu Ani, explained that the portal only underwent routine maintenance, insisting that the list of successful candidates was not cancelled.

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Ani, who maintained that the PSC would not succumb to any pressure demanding the cancellation of the entire process, argued that the recruitment exercise was conducted in clear adherence to relevant guidelines and provisions of the law.

“The Police Service Commission has just concluded a routine maintenance of its portal containing the list of successful candidates for the recently concluded recruitment into the Constable cadre of the Nigeria Police Force.

“The Commission has not, and will not cancel the final list of successful candidates from the recruitment exercise which was conducted in clear adherence to relevant guidelines and provisions of the law,” the senior civil servant said.

Ani, while expressing regrets about the glitches experienced by the portal, appealed to the candidates not to “fall for the antics” of those he described as hell-bent on tarnishing the image of the commission.

According to him, the commission is in control of the situation, and has since restored the portal with its original contents.

He added, “Successful candidates are advised to ignore these deliberate antics of desperate groups bent on destroying the good work of the commission in giving the nation a merit-based and inclusive recruitment exercise.

“The Commission calls on these disgruntled elements to desist further from undermining the recruitment exercise as any one caught will be dealt with.

“The Commission restates that the portal is now fully functional and accessible. Candidates can now log in and access all its features without any disruptions. The Commission regrets the hitches and assures that it has fully secured the platform.”

Police Service Commission portal crashes over constables recruitment

Presidency asks govs to implement school feeding programme

Dr. Yetunde Adeniji, Senior Special Assistant to the President on School Feeding Programme, called upon governors of all 36 states to embrace and implement the school feeding programme in their respective states.

She made this appeal on Thursday in Abuja during the opening of a two-day workshop for Nigerian state officials on adapting the AUDA-NEPAD Continental school feeding guidelines. The workshop promoted state-driven implementation and best practices for school feeding, emphasizing local agricultural value chains, community engagement, and economic development.

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According to reports, while a few states have joined the programme, many others have yet to.

Adeniji clarified, “The programme operates through a federal and state government partnership. It requires synergy. No one can implement it alone. That’s why we’re here—to collaborate and find a way forward.”