The Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA) has denied any involvement in the alleged sale of Nigerian-registered aircraft and announced that investigations are underway into the claims. Michael Achimugu, the Director of Public Affairs and Consumer Protection, addressed the issue in a statement to the press, dismissing the media reports as unfounded and emphasizing the importance of a thorough investigation.
“These are serious allegations, and the appropriate course of action is to investigate them thoroughly,” Achimugu said. “You cannot investigate such a matter without engaging with the parties involved.”
The media reports on Tuesday claimed that Nigerian-registered aircraft had been sold without proper documentation, following a separate report about an aircraft allegedly smuggled from Nigeria to Iran. The two aircraft in question, an Airbus A340-600 (registration 5N-AAM) and a Boeing 737-300 (registration 5N-YSM), were reportedly transferred to Mahan Air by Azman Air and are currently stored in Tehran at Imam Khomeini International Airport and Mehrabad Airport.
These planes are alleged to have been sold to an Iranian airline in violation of international sanctions. Foreign media outlets, including the Middle East Forum Observer, have implicated Azman Air in efforts to assist Mahan Air in evading sanctions in Africa.
However, Achimugu clarified that for such sales to be valid, the aircraft would need to be deregistered in Nigeria, a process that has not taken place.
He further pointed out that the reports lacked specific details, assuring the public that the results of the investigation would be made available once concluded. “As soon as the investigation findings are out, they will be made public,” he stated.
