Airport Reporters

  CANNABIS FARMS CATALYST FOR INSECURITY The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) Edo State Commander, Mitchell Ofoyeju, PhD, has raised the alarm over the escalating threat posed by cannabis cultivation in Edo State, describing it as a catalyst for kidnapping, arms proliferation, cultism and youth exploitation. This position was disclosed at the Edo Central Senatorial District Town Hall Meeting organised by Senator Joseph Ikpea at Uromi on Tuesday, August 11, 2026.  Speaking at the stakeholders' engagement, Commander Mitchell presented a comprehensive assessment titled "Cannabis Cultivation and Rural Insecurity in Edo Central", warning that forestlands once meant for agriculture have been converted into cannabis plantations. "What started as hidden plots has grown into large-scale cannabis farms and a chain of insecurity. Where cannabis takes root, crime follows, and where cannabis grows, development dies. An effective drug control will reduce the problem of...

  Air Peace alleges N2b loss to  disrupted flights  Air Peace Airlines  on Wednesday said  it lost over N2 billion to the disruption of its flight by three aviation unions , whose members carried out picketing on its business operations at the Lagos and Abuja Airports. Over 85 percent of its daily flights were not operated on account of the industrial action. The carrier operates over 100 flights daily across its route  network. The carrier said the appalling disruptive activity  by members of   the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC), the Air Transport Services Senior Staff Association of Nigeria (ATSSSAN), and the Trade Union Congress (TUC) , violated the International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO)   and Nigeria Civil Aviation Regulation (NCAR)  Security regulation, describing it  as an act of unlawful interference punishable under extant aviation regulations. Speaking at a briefing in Lagos, its Chief Operating Officer ...

  Federal Govt to deploy pax, baggage tracking technology at airports  .....Urges FAAN, NCAA, airlines to adopt system The Federal Government has concluded plans to deploy the Radio Frequency Identification (RFID), technology at airports terminals to bolster the tracking of flight status, whether delayed /cancelled,  luggage handling/ mis- routing and other procedures  associated with the travel process. The new move is part of efforts by the government to implement new smart traveling measures already gaining traction in the global air transport ecosystem. Disclosing this yesterday at a training programme at the Nigeria Civil Aviation (NCAA) Annex in Lagos, its Director of Public Affairs and Consumer Protection, Mr Michael Achimugu said the Federal Government is committed to ensure that the airport authority, ground handling companies and airlines plug into the new system. He said the new arrangement will leverage the RFID system provide automated baggage tracking f...

 NDLEA EDO, ARMY JOINT OPERATION RECOVER 604KG OF CANNABIS ....ARREST 9 SUSPECTS, LAUNCH MANHUNT FOR FLEEING DRUG KINGPIN The Edo State Command of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA), in collaboration with personnel from the Nigerian Army, successfully raided a notorious drug hub in Ewe Luleha, Owan West Local Government Area of Edo State, on August 5, 2026. The operation resulted in the seizure of sixty-five bags of dried weeds that tested positive for skunk cannabis, weighing six hundred and four kilogrammes (604.5kgs). The command has launched a manhunt for the fleeing suspected drug kingpin identified as Sunday, Commander of Narcotics Mitchell Ofoyeju, PhD, NDLEA Edo State Commander, stated. “We are tracking the suspected drug kingpin one Sunday who is in hiding following the recovery of the 604.5kg of cannabis operation. He has nowhere to hide because we will certainly apprehend him.” In a separate operation to rid the state of illicit drugs as directed by the Cha...

Aviation Hall of Fame holds 2nd induction ceremony Sept 4 in Lagos    ...., Olateru, Oba Ajakaye to grace epoch-making event  .....16 aviation icons to be honoured  ....... MMA2 partners for montage display The Nigeria Aviation Hall of Fame (NAHF) will hold its 2nd Induction Ceremony on Friday, September 4, 2026 at the Golfview Hotel, Ikeja, Lagos  in an event that promises to celebrate excellence, discipline, and legacy in Nigeria’s aviation sector. The ceremony has received the endorsement of the Minister of Aviation and Aerospace Development, Mr. Festus Keyamo, SAN, who will attend as  the Special Guest of Honour. Chairing the event is Akin Olateru, pioneer Director General of the Nigerian Safety Investigation Bureau (NSIB) and Chairman, OmniBlu Aviation Limited.  Royal Father of the Day  is  His Royal Majesty, Oba Adeola Adeniyi Ajakaye, the  Oluyin of Iyin, Ekiti State who was Director of Administration, Federal Airports Authority o...

  Arsenal , Emirates renew landmark partnership  ....As Premier League's longest-running relationships enters new era Arsenal Football Club and Emirates have  announced a long-term renewal of one of the longest-running and most recognisable partnerships in world sport.   The agreement will see Emirates continue as the Champion’s front-of-shirt, training kit and stadium naming rights partner through to 2033, extending what is already the Premier League's longest-running front-of-shirt partnership and marking the beginning of a new era in one of football's most enduring relationships.   Arsenal and Emirates first partnered in 2006 and have since built one of football's defining partnerships. Spanning the entire Emirates Stadium era, the relationship has evolved alongside the club – supporting Arsenal's ambitions, strengthening both organisations' global reach and creating new ways for supporters around the world to connect with Arsenal.   The renewal comes...

  Aviation agencies scramble for more funding at public  hearing  The clamour for more funding took centre stage  in Abuja yesterday as aviation agencies : Nigerian Airspace Management Agency (NAMA) and the Nigeria Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA), sought a review of the sharing template  of the revenues accruing from the five percent Ticket Sales Charge (TSC) and Cargo Sales Charge (CSC). The  agencies' chief executives made their presentations while speaking at a House of Representatives public hearing in respect of  the proposed revision of the statutory sharing formula for the five percent Ticket, Charter, and Cargo Sales Charge (TSC/ CSC)  Managing Director of the Nigerian Airspace Management Agency (NAMA), Farouk Umar Ahmed, while canvassing  an overhaul of the agency’s funding model said sustainable air safety cannot be built on an outdated financial framework.  Ahmed said the amendment before lawmakers goes far beyond mere revenue...

  AON urges NASS to scrap 5% TSC, adopt FAAN model … Says system has outlived its usefulness, unfair to airlines The Airline Operators of Nigeria (AON) has called on the National Assembly to scrap the current 5% ticket, charter and cargo sales charge (TSC) altogether and replace it with a structure modelled on the passenger service charge (PSC) used by the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN), arguing that the existing percentage-based system is unfair to domestic carriers. The association made its position known on Thursday at a public hearing on the proposed revision of the statutory sharing formula for the 5% TSC, held at the Federal House of Representatives. The AON was represented at the hearing by former Managing Director of the Nigerian Airspace Management Agency (NAMA), Capt. Roland Iyayi. Presenting the association's position to the committee, the AON argued that a flat charge like that of FAAN's PSC, would remove the distortions created by a percentage levy ap...

 NDLEA, Edo State Command, Strengthens Partnership with Pharmacists The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA), Edo State Command, and the pharmaceutical community in the state have reaffirmed their commitment to a robust partnership in the fight against substance abuse and illicit drug trafficking.  This came to the fore during a courtesy visit by the leadership of the Pharmaceutical Society of Nigeria (PSN) and the Association of Community Pharmacists of Nigeria (ACPN) at the Command Headquarters in Benin City on Thursday, 6th August 2026. The delegation, led by the Chairman of PSN, Edo State Chapter, Dr. Chris Oisakede, included the Chairman of ACPN, Dr. Nwachukwu Memili, and other distinguished executive members.  They were warmly received by Commander Mitchell Ofoyeju, PhD, alongside the senior management team of the Command, including the Deputy State Commander, DCN Victor Isibor Chuks, and other deputy commanders and principal officers. The commander welcomed...

   Dangote tops US as Europe's largest jet fuel supplier  ....Reinforces position in global aviation trade  Dangote Petroleum Refinery & Petrochemicals has strengthened its position as a global supplier of premium aviation fuel after emerging as Europe's largest jet fuel supplier for the second consecutive month. According to the company, it is overtaken the United States , underscoring the refinery's growing influence on international energy markets. Latest European import data compiled by global commodities intelligence firm Kpler shows  that more than 400,000 tonnes of jet fuel produced by the 700,000 barrels per day Dangote Petroleum Refinery were delivered into Europe in July, accounting for approximately 20 per cent of the continent's total jet fuel imports during the month.  The performance follows a record 466,000 tonnes exported to Europe in June, when Nigeria first displaced the United States as the region's leading supplier of imported jet fu...

  AON  cautions aviation unions on plans to picket airlines  Vice President of Airline Operators of Nigeria (AON), Allen Onyema yesterday cautioned aviation unions to desist from their threat to picket domestic carriers over the debts accruing from non- remittance of the five percent of Ticket Sales Charge (TSC), saying local airlines have no business with unions  on AON's relationship with aviation agencies. Onyema said an arrangement where unions are now acting on behalf  of agencies on the modalities for remitting whatever airlines owe them could be described as arbitrariness. He said it is strange that aviation agencies are now resorting to using unions to settle issues bordering on debt recovery. Speaking in an interview at the sidelines of the launch of the biography of Alhaji Muneer Bankole, the Managing Director of Meview Airlines Plc, Onyema said the unions were acting on a script by their promoters - aviation agencies - to create problems that will tri...

  Air Peace expands Central African connectivity with Lagos - Douala - Librevile flight  A day after the launch of its Lagos–Conakry–Bamako route, West and Central Africa's largest carrier, Air Peace Limited, further expanded its regional footprint with the commencement of inaugural flight operations on the Lagos–Douala–Libreville route on Sunday, August 2, 2026, reinforcing the airline's commitment to deepening intra-African connectivity and linking more African cities through its growing network. The new route marks another significant milestone in Air Peace's strategic expansion across the continent, connecting Nigeria's commercial capital with Cameroon and Gabon while creating greater opportunities for business, trade, tourism, cultural exchange and stronger people-to-people relationships across Central and West Africa. Upon arrival at the Douala International Airport, the Air Peace delegation, led by the airline's Chief Commercial Officer, Mr. Nowel Ngala, and ...

AON tackles Aviation unions over threat of strike  The Airline Operators of Nigeria (AON) has expressed  displeasure over threats  by certain aviation unions to disrupt flight operations over allegations of "unremitted Ticket Service Charges (TSC) owed to the Nigeria Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA)".  The AON said it would not ordinarily dignify this with a response, but the numerous calls from anxious passengers demanding to know the fate of their travel plans leave it with no choice,  therefore it is  compelled  to respond on the matter. In a statement, AON's Spokesperson and Chairman of United Nigeria Airlines, Prof. Obiora Okonkwo said :" We want to clearly state that the AON has no transactional relationship whatsoever with these unions on this matter. To the best of our knowledge, they do not speak for, nor on behalf of, the NCAA. Those behind these threats have been misinformed, and we urge them to seek facts from the appropriate quarters before...

  Expert outlines steps to achieve Nigeria's $1trn economic target  An airline economist and strategist, Captain Samuel Caulcrick has outlined steps to be taken by the Federal Government to achieve the $1 trillion contribution to Gross Domestic Product (GDP), in order to bolster  the country's  economy. Caulcrick, who is a former Rector, Nigerian College of Aviation Technology (NCAT), Zaria , in Kaduna State said the ambition by President Bola Ahmed Tinubu's administration to attain the economic  target is not only ambitious, but achievable, based on sound calculations and  acceleration of three levers  that the Federal Government has direct control over. The airline pilot said the $1trillion GDP target is not a mere fantasy, but mathematical,  because Nigeria  has already  hit a $2.4 trillion economy on paper. He said Nigeria’s purchasing power parity (PPP) in dollars  measures what the citizens  actually produce and consume i...