Category: Aviation

Ondo Air Crash: NAF Pilot Dies 16 Days After Wedding to Fellow Officer

topnews

Tragedy has struck a Nigerian Air Force family after Squadron Leader Ahamefule Aham Man-Ugwueje, one of the pilots aboard the military aircraft that crashed in Ondo State, died just 16 days after his wedding. Man-Ugwueje reportedly got married to fellow Nigerian Air Force officer, Flight Lieutenant Damilola Adekunle, on September 19, 2026, in Abuja. The couple’s wedding ceremony was held at the Redeemed Christian Church of God, The Masters Place, Utako, while the reception took place at the Nigerian Army Conference Centre in Asokoro. Barely two weeks into their marriage,…

Read More

Military Aircraft With 32 On Board Crashes In Ondo

topnews

A Nigerian Air Force aircraft carrying 32 people has crashed in Igbokoda, headquarters of Ilaje Local Government Area of Ondo State. The aircraft, identified as an ATR-42 with tail number NGR 931, was travelling from Benin to Lagos when air traffic controllers lost contact with it at about 9:13 a.m. on Monday, October 5, 2026. Minister of Aviation and Aerospace Development, Festus Keyamo, confirmed the incident, saying the aircraft was subsequently confirmed to have crashed close to the Naval Base in Igbokoda. According to the minister, preliminary information indicated that…

Read More

Airline Operators Claim They Pay 54 Taxes, NCAA Insists It’s Just 4

topnews

Nigerian airline operators and the Nigeria Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA) have disagreed sharply over the number of taxes, levies, fees and charges imposed on airlines operating in the country. While airline operators claim they are burdened with as many as 54 different taxes, fees and charges, the NCAA has rejected the description, insisting that only about four statutory tax or ticket-related charges should properly be regarded as taxes. The disagreement came to the fore at the 30th Annual Conference of the League of Airport and Aviation Correspondents, where stakeholders discussed…

Read More

Tinubu Presidency Spends N37.6bn on Travel-Related Expenses in Three Years – Report

topnews

The Presidency has reportedly spent about N37.6 billion on travel-related expenses between June 2023 and April 2026, according to an analysis of government spending records. The figure, put at approximately N37.64 billion, reportedly covers expenses linked to presidential travels, logistics, foreign exchange transactions and other costs associated with the Presidential Air Fleet. According to the report, the expenditure was recorded in different periods since President Bola Ahmed Tinubu assumed office in May 2023. The breakdown showed that about N9.19 billion was spent between June and December 2023, while spending rose…

Read More

Mirroring Fidelity Bank’s Giant Footprints in Aviation Financing in Nigeria

topnews

Aviation business, not only in Nigeria, is generally known to be a capital intensive one and strictly guided by international regulations as prescribed by the International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO). The ICAO recommended standards and Practices are to be referred to when dealing in aviation business, therefore, Nigeria being a signatory to ICAO should uphold international civil aviation standards and fulfill its obligations under the Convention on International Civil Aviation. Numerous challenges, including high operating cost; fluctuating exchange rates; difficulties in aircraft repossession; perceived high-risk environment for international financiers and…

Read More

US Embassy Celebrates Nigerian Engineer Wendy Okolo for Leading Flight Safety Research at NASA Ames

topnews

The United States Embassy has honoured Nigerian-born aerospace engineer Wendy Okolo for her pioneering contributions to flight safety research at the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA). In a post shared on its official X platform, the embassy described Okolo as a trailblazing Nigerian-American scientist at the NASA Ames Research Center, applauding her groundbreaking work in advanced aerospace systems. Okolo, who earned her doctorate at the age of 26, currently leads cutting-edge research focused on flight safety and control optimisation. Her work at NASA Ames in Silicon Valley centres on…

Read More

EFCC Arraigns Austrian National for Failing to Declare $800,575 and €651,505 at Lagos Airport

topnews

The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) has arraigned an Austrian national, Kavlak Onal, for allegedly failing to declare large sums of foreign currency at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport, Ikeja, Lagos. Onal was arraigned on Friday, January 9, 2026, before Justice Yelim Bogoro of the Federal High Court sitting in Ikoyi, Lagos, by the EFCC’s Lagos Zonal Directorate 2, Okotie Eboh. According to the anti-graft agency, the defendant was intercepted on Tuesday, December 16, 2025, while attempting to board an Emirates Airline flight to Dubai. EFCC stated that Onal…

Read More

Nigerian Brand Influencer Lazywrita Dies, Leaves Emotional Final Instagram Message

topnews

Nigerian brand strategist, influencer and author, Anda Damisa Paul, popularly known as Lazywrita, has died, sources close to him have confirmed. Details surrounding his death remain unclear. However, friends disclosed that a scheduled Instagram post published on December 29, 2025, suggested his passing may have been connected to emotional distress following a failed relationship. According to the sources, Damisa reportedly died several days before the post went live, having programmed it in advance to announce his death. In the message, Lazywrita wrote: “Don’t cry for me please o… I lived…

Read More

VDM, Mr. Jollof exchange blows inside aircraft 

topnews

There was drama aboard an Abuja-bound United Nigeria Airlines (UNA) flight yesterday after social media activist Martins Otse, popularly known as VeryDarkMan (VDM), and comedian Freedom Atsepoyi, widely called Mr Jollof, engaged in a physical fight that left passengers stunned. A video circulating online shows the confrontation beginning as a heated verbal exchange before quickly escalating into a violent scuffle inside the aircraft. Cabin crew and alarmed passengers scrambled to intervene as the pair traded blows. The clash occurred on the airline’s Asaba flight. Both men were immediately deboarded in…

Read More

Fidelity Bank Commends Air Peace for Successful Inaugural Heathrow Flight

topnews

Leading financial institution, Fidelity Bank Plc, has commended Air Peace for its historic inaugural direct flight from Abuja to London Heathrow, describing the milestone as a bold testament to Nigerian excellence in global aviation. The Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer of Fidelity Bank Plc, Dr. Nneka Onyeali-Ikpe,OON in a statement issued following the launch, praised Air Peace for its resilience and vision. The MD noted that the airline’s expansion into the prestigious Heathrow route reflects the strength of indigenous enterprise and the growing confidence in Nigeria’s aviation sector. “We…

Read More