The Federal Government is considering shutting down the General Aviation Terminal (GAT) at Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport, Abuja, after a ministerial task force report exposed widespread illegal activities, including money laundering, drug trafficking, and human trafficking, within the VIP section.
The GAT, used primarily by private jet owners and charter operators, has been identified as a hub for unlawful transactions carried out under the guise of legitimate operations. Aviation Minister Festus Keyamo disclosed that aircraft owners holding Permits for Non-Commercial Flights (PNCF) were allegedly using them for illicit charter services and other criminal enterprises.
“When I resumed office, I was told to let it go because those involved are considered untouchables,” Keyamo said while receiving the report of the seven-member Ministerial Task Force on Illegal Private Charter Operations. “But my duty, as a former EFCC prosecutor, is to touch the untouchables. This is a national security issue.”
The task force, chaired by Capt. Ado Sanusi, revealed that Nigeria has lost over ₦120 billion in the past decade due to illegal private charter operations. Sanusi said the committee’s findings uncovered major lapses, including regulatory weaknesses, oversight failures, and exploitation of loopholes in the PNCF system.
“Our investigation shows that about 90% of criminal activities in aviation occur at the Abuja GAT, including money laundering, drug trafficking, and fugitive transfers,” Sanusi stated. He added that the task force recommends the immediate closure and reorganisation of the terminal in line with the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) audit, which identified it as a high-risk zone.
Keyamo commended the committee’s work, pledging that its findings “will not be swept under the carpet.” He confirmed plans to forward the report to the Presidency and the National Security Adviser for implementation, noting that the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA) will also be directed to publish the list of all licensed PNCF holders to expose illegal operators.
The minister further disclosed that one foreign commercial airline is under investigation for allegedly aiding drug traffickers, in collaboration with the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA). “If commercial airlines can be complicit in such acts, private jet operators, who are often unregulated, pose an even greater risk,” he warned.
Keyamo also criticized the absence of proper passenger manifests for private jet flights, calling for a new rule that would require the control tower to verify manifests before granting takeoff clearance.
“The government will not hesitate to shut down the GAT if that’s what it takes to restore sanity,” he said. “We are determined to ensure a secure, transparent, and well-regulated aviation sector.”
