The Director General of the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA), Captain Chris Najomo, has sounded the alarm over the increasing incidence of fraudulent activities within Nigeria’s aviation sector.
He emphasized that these fraudulent practices pose a serious threat to aviation safety, economic regulation, and investor confidence.
Captain Najomo made this known during a courtesy visit to the Executive Chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), Mr. Ola Olukoyede. During the visit, he called on the Commission to intervene and help tackle the growing problem.
Najomo identified high-value transactions such as aircraft purchases, leasing arrangements, foreign maintenance contracts and procurement of safety infrastructures as areas vulnerable to fraud, as well as money laundering.
He raised concerns over the non-remittance of the mandatory five percent Ticket Sales Charge (TSC) and Cargo Sales Charge (CSC) by some commercial airlines, stating that such non-compliance occasions shortfalls in NCAA’s internally generated revenue needed for adequate safety oversight
He also pointed to NCAA’s battles against illegal charter operations, disguised as private flights, which he said, often involved unregulated financial flows, noting that EFCC’s financial intelligence capabilities were needful in unmasking such fraudulent activities.
His words, “Non-remittance weakens NCAA’s ability to fund safety oversight and operational efficiency and may require EFCC’s intervention to investigate cases where deliberate withholding, diversion or misappropriation of these funds is suspected.
“Some operators deliberately under-report revenues, manipulate ticketing systems or divert funds, thereby sabotaging the NCAA’s ability to regulate effectively. In such cases, EFCC’s intervention is necessary.”
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