The Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA) is seeking the assistance of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) to combat widespread economic and financial fraud within the aviation sector.
Captain Chris Najomo, the Director General of the NCAA, made the appeal during a courtesy visit to the EFCC’s headquarters in Abuja on Tuesday.
Najomo, accompanied by his management team, highlighted the severe risks that fraudulent activities pose to aviation safety and operational transparency.
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He emphasised that the NCAA requires the EFCC’s intervention to address financial crimes that jeopardise safety, economic regulation, and investor confidence.
He pointed out several areas vulnerable to fraud and money laundering, including high-value transactions like aircraft purchases, leasing agreements, foreign maintenance contracts, and the procurement of safety infrastructure.
A major concern raised by Najomo was the non-remittance of the mandatory 5% Ticket Sales Charge (TSC) and Cargo Sales Charge (CSC) by some commercial airlines.
He stated that this non-compliance leads to a significant shortfall in the NCAA’s internally generated revenue, which is crucial for funding safety oversight.
“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,” he said.
He added that some operators deliberately under-report revenues or manipulate ticketing systems, thereby undermining the NCAA’s regulatory capacity.
Najomo also noted the challenges posed by illegal charter operations disguised as private flights, which often involve unregulated financial flows.
He stated that the EFCC’s financial intelligence capabilities would be vital in unmasking these illicit activities.
Additionally, he requested EFCC’s support in training NCAA staff to detect financial red flags, organising joint workshops, and facilitating intelligence sharing. Najomo acknowledged that the NCAA cannot fully achieve its mandate without the support of the EFCC.
In response, the EFCC Chairman, Ola Olukoyede, expressed his gratitude for the visit and pledged the commission’s full commitment to sanitising the aviation industry.
He acknowledged that the aviation sector is a hotbed for money laundering, particularly through chartered services, and stated that the EFCC has been proactively reaching out to the NCAA to address these issues.
Olukoyede urged the NCAA to strengthen its surveillance of the private wings of airports, which he described as a hub for illicit financial activities.
He assured the NCAA of the EFCC’s readiness to work closely on issues of non-remittance by airlines, fraudulent ticketing systems—often exploited by foreign airlines—and other illicit financial flows.
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The EFCC boss disclosed that senior officers would be designated to work with the NCAA to finalise a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) on joint investigations, intelligence exchange, and compliance monitoring.
He assured the NCAA of the EFCC’s unwavering support in protecting the Nigerian aviation sector from fraud and economic sabotage.
