Aviation minister, Festus Keyamo, says private aircraft owners run “unregulated and unchecked,” deploying their aircrafts for money laundering, drug trafficking and other illicit crimes.

“Last week, the National Security Adviser wrote to us, alerting us of the spike in money laundering, drug trafficking and other illegal activities through the use of private aircraft in the country,” Mr Keyamo said.

Mr Keyamo made this revelation at the inauguration of the ministerial task force committee to curb illegal chartered operations in the country on Thursday.

He added “It appears that Private Non-Commercial Flight (PNCF) operators have become increasingly emboldened, continuing their illegal operations with the assistance of Air Operator Certificate (AOC) holders who collect tolls and list these illegal charters under their AOCs.”

According to Mr Keyamo, “these illicit activities have not only resulted in significant financial losses to the Federal Government but have also raised security and safety concerns as the operations of private aircraft owners have remained largely unchecked and unregulated. This has also resulted in using these private aircraft for other illegal activities.”

Though Mr Keyamo did not mention specific owners of private jets using their aircrafts for money laundering, drug trafficking and other crimes, a couple of wealthy Nigerian businessmen, politicians, bankers, clerics own private jets.