Oyedepo: No Private Jet Can Fly Out Of Nigeria Without Clearance – Keyamo

The Minister of Aviation and Aerospace Development, Festus Keyamo, has said that private planes belonging to elites, including the Founder and Presiding Bishop of Living Faith Bible Church Worldwide, Bishop David Oyedepo, cannot leave the country without securing clearance from relevant authorities.

He stated this during an appearance on Channels Television’s Politics Today on Sunday.

Naija News reports that the Minister’s clarification is coming barely two months after members of the House of Representatives called for a revocation of airstrip licences issued to certain individuals and private organisations, citing security reasons.

However, Keyamo insisted that it is impossible for plane or drone, even if it belongs to the military, to leave the country without getting approval from the Agency.

When asked if the airstrip of Oyedepo also passed through the same due process, Keyamo nodded.

He said, “Oh yes, absolutely. That’s no problem. They were only concerned about the fact that they thought that somebody can take off from a private airstrip and fly out of Nigeria or fly into Nigeria. It is not possible.

“You must land in an international airport first. Then the Customs, immigration and NDLEA will process you before you take off from there to your private airstrip. If you are also flying out, you must land at an international airport. You will go through Customs, immigration and all the normal process before flying out.

“So nobody uses an airstrip for any such purpose without seeking clearance. At every point in time, the authorities must approve.”

When quizzed on how many airstrips the country is operating at the moment, Keyamo said they are in the range of 40.

“We have a number of them, more than 40. For the federal airport, we have 23. The state airport has about eight or nine now.

“And then the airstrips are about 40 or thereabouts. I have been there myself,” he stated.