How Influential People Are Violating Buhari’s ‘No-Flight’ Order

TRACKING___The restriction on flights imposed by the Federal Government in the wake of the global Coronavirus pandemic to curtail its spread in Nigeria is being observed in the breach.

Despite the restriction, first imposed on March 21, some commercial and private airlines have continued to ferry un-exempted passengers, mostly VIPS, within and outside the country in clear violation of the Quarantine Act signed by President Muhammadu Buhari.

The president’s daughters, his chief of staff, other aides and many state governors were among those found to have violated the inter-state travel restrictions.

Investigations also show that airlines that obtain the necessary permits to convey VIPs take undue advantage to ferry family members, associates and other passengers not included in the exemption category.

Daily Trust reporters who spent some time in the past few days at the Murtala Mohammed and Nnamdi Azikiwe airports in Lagos and Abuja found that aircraft belonging to security agencies, particularly the Nigerian Air force and the Police were being used to convey un-exempted passengers.

Multiple sources disclosed that the security agencies use their privileges to convey family members, associates and friends of top security personnel while ordinary Nigerians are being arrested and charged across the country for violating interstate travel restrictions.

The presidency has also denied that the first family have violated the travel restriction, while, the federal ministry of Aviation, Nigerian Air Force and the Police have not responded to our requests for comment.

Buhari’s daughters, governors among violators
Daily Trust checks show that asides other private and commercial airlines, state governors have also been embarking on air travels in clear violation of interstate travel which they agreed on as a measure to mitigate community transmission of COVID-19.

The governors, under the aegis of the Nigeria Governors’ Forum (NGF) had on Wednesday, April 22, “unanimously” agreed to the implementation of an interstate lockdown in the country to mitigate the spread of COVID-19 from state to state, giving permission to only essential services.

However, some of the governors have been violating the travel restrictions with several trips to Abuja and Lagos undertaken by flight. On Monday, June 1, Gov. Godwin Obaseki of Edo State flew into Abuja to visit President Buhari at the Presidential Villa, Abuja, to formally inform him of his intention to seek re-election for a second term.

The same day, the Chairman of the Progressive Governors’ Forum (PGF) and Governor of Kebbi State, Atiku Bagudu, led six of his colleagues to meet with the Comrade Adams Oshiomhole-led National Working Committee (NWC) of the APC on what was believed to be a last-minute effort to save Obaseki’s candidacy ahead of the APC primary election in Edo.

Many aviation stakeholders and the general public have raised eyebrows over the violation of the ban by some VIPs who were not on essential flights.

For instance not a few tongues wagged recently following the controversy generated when the Special Assistant to the President, Sabiu Tunde Yusuf, was asked by the wife of the President, Mrs Aisha Buhari, to respect the COVID-19 guidelines, following his alleged refusal to go on self-isolation after returning from an air trip to Lagos.

“So far, what we have seen is the violation of this restriction by some VIPs. The other day, the governors flew into Lagos State and back to Abuja, there was also the case of the President’s aide which caused rumbles recently in the villa,” said a Lagos-based operator who wouldn’t want to be named.

Another source at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport, Lagos, alleged that some aircraft registered as private non-commercial jets were being used for commercial services.

“There was never a day you would not see one private jet or the other taking off and landing at this airport despite the restriction. You then wonder if all were special or exempted flights,” the source said. It was also revealed that the President’s daughters, Zahra and Halima, had also travelled out of the villa by flight to visit their in-laws when Halima’s husband’s uncle died recently.

Similar trips were said to have been undertaken by President Buhari’s Chief of Staff, Professor Ibrahim Gambari, who went to Lagos. There was also public outrage recently when a private airline operator, Executive Jets Services Ltd, conveyed a popular musician Naira Marley and ex-BBNaija housemate, Kim Oprah, to Abuja for a concert at the Jabi Lake Mall in Abuja last weekend.

Although the flight was said to have been approved to convey a serving judge from Lagos to Abuja and back, on official assignment, the flight operator violated the approval by conveying the musician.

The Minister of Aviation Hadi Sirika later announced that Executive Jets Services Ltd, the flight company that conveyed musician Naira Marley and ex-BBNaija housemate, Kim Oprah, to Abuja for a concert has been suspended indefinitely.

When contacted, Garba Shehu, presidential spokesman, said he was not aware that some members of the First Family have undertaken inter-State journeys. “But what I want you to understand is that while all forms of air travel are not allowed-international, interstate and intrastate and remain suspended, such flights are cleared to operate by the Ministry of aviation for all services adjudged as essential.

“So if members of the First Family fly, do you know the essential nature of such trips? Can you, where you are sitting, determine what is essential for the First Family or the Chief of Staff?” “The Ministry determines what is essential service before they give authorization. Members of the first family can be on essential service.

“Judges are being moved around as are doctors. As I write, the Country Representative of the Wold Health Organization, WHO and the Director General of the National Center for Disease Control, NCDC are in Delta State and will be returning to Abuja, Shehu said.

Air Force, Police Aircraft ferry un-exempted passengers
Investigations by Daily Trust further revealed that aircraft belonging to security agencies, particularly the Nigerian Air force and the Police were being used to convey un-exempted passengers.

Multiple sources informed Daily Trust that although the necessary permits were obtained for the security aircraft, they were used to convey un-exempted persons, mostly family members, associates and friends of top security personnel.

A source who was ferried in an Air Force aircraft from Lagos to Abuja in March revealed how ‘connections’ are used to violate the travel restriction order. “On that day, we arrived Abuja from Lagos on a C-130 aircraft mostly used for cargo.

We were about 60-70 persons on the flight. Our temperatures were checked and our hands sanitized, but we didn’t have face masks aboard the flight. The source, who wouldn’t want to be identified for security reasons, disclosed that the majority of the passengers were family members of Air force personnel who were going back to Abuja.

On how access was granted, the source said, “You have to have contact with someone high up there to get a pass. Your name has to be on the list to be given a pass to board the aircraft.

“On three different occasions, I went there but was not able to board because there were many passengers. If you can’t board, your name is put on the waiting list, and on our fourth try, I was able to board. “We landed at the Air force terminal in Abuja and exited through the back door.”