Following the revelation by Dayo Olumide, the Managing Director of Nigeria Air, that the airplane that landed at the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport in Abuja on May 26, 2023, was a chartered aircraft from Ethiopian Airlines, some Nigerians on the internet have been calling for the arrest and prosecution of the immediate past Aviation Minister, Hadi Sirika.

 

Olumide clarified during a Senate hearing that the chartered plane had been launched in 2018 and his responsibility was to secure an operating certificate for the airline. He addressed misconceptions surrounding Nigeria Air and focused on the technical aspects of the operation.

 

Earlier reports had quoted Sirika affirming that the national carrier would commence operations before the end of President Buhari's administration on May 29, 2023. However, a Federal High Court in Lagos had issued an order restraining the director-general of the Nigeria Civil Aviation Authority from issuing an air operator's certificate to the proposed airline.

 

Contrary to Sirika's claim about the equity structure of the airline, where the Federal Government would control five percent equity and a consortium of three Nigerian investors would hold 46 percent, Olumide stated that the chartered aircraft in question did not require a license or other processes as it was a hired plane.

 

In response to the revelations, some netizens strongly criticized Sirika and called for his arrest and prosecution by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC). They expressed their disappointment in the situation, labeling Nigeria Air a fraud and emphasizing that such actions should be met with serious consequences. The online voices highlighted the alleged scam and demanded accountability from those involved.

 

The sentiment among these individuals reflected frustration with the handling of the Nigeria Air project and the perceived lack of appropriate action against those responsible for the alleged fraudulent activities.