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Keyamo: FG May Seize Dana Air Assets To Refund Passengers, Travel Agents

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Keyamo: FG May Seize Dana Air Assets To Refund Passengers, Travel Agents

Keyamo: FG may seize Dana Air assets to refund passengers, travel agents. Festus Keyamo, the minister of aviation and aerospace development, says the federal government may seize Dana Air’s assets to refund passengers and travel agents whose funds remain trapped.

The minister spoke on Tuesday in Abuja during the ministry’s fourth-quarter stakeholders’ engagement, themed “leveraging public feedback to drive excellence in aviation services”.

Keyamo said he will also instruct the Nigeria Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA) to investigate why the affected refunds have not been processed. He explained that the suspension of Dana Air’s operations was taken to avert a potential tragedy, noting that the decision was made in favour of safety over commercial considerations.

Keyamo said the administration received “damning reports” on Dana Air’s safety record and operational standards during its review of the airline’s status. He said the NCAA had decided to ground the airline, but he urged the authority to prioritise passenger safety based on the findings before them.

According to him, “for Dana, the problem is that it was a choice between safety and disaster.”

“So we didn’t take the commercial thing as a priority. The priority was safety and we all looked at the damning reports that we met on the table,” he said.

“It was a decision of the NCAA to suspend them, but I pushed them to say, look, these are the reports we are seeing on the table about safety record, about lack of standards that put the lives of Nigerians at risk.

“If they continue flying, I don’t know whether most of us will be here. Many of us would have been victims of one of those flights. God forbid.” Keyamo said he has directed Chris Najomo, acting director-general of the NCAA, to identify how passengers and ticket agents can be refunded.

The minister added that he has “asked Najomo to dig deep to find out how those passengers and agents will be refunded. He has to dig deep on that”.

“One solution will also be that if that same individual or those entities are trying to come back to aviation under any guise, whether to go and register a new AOC or use any business within the aviation sector, they have to go and settle their debts first,” he said.

“We should look at their assets. There are assets that are still available. Let them sell their assets.
“Let’s cannibalise their revenue and pay people. Let’s find a way to go after their assets and get money to pay Nigerians who are owed.

“NCAA should do that because they can’t get away with it.” On April 24, 2024, the NCAA was directed by Keyamo to suspend the operations of Dana Air, following an incident involving the airline’s plane at Lagos airport a day before, which veered off the runway.

Two days later, Keyamo said internal reports, which were done two years before the incident, showed that Dana Air was unfit to fly, adding that the consistent incidents experienced by the airline made him call for a suspension.
‘TINUBU HAS APPROVED SPECIAL FUNDING FOR NAMA TO ACQUIRE EQUIOMENT’

Keyamo also said President Bola Tinubu has approved special funding for the acquisition of equipment for the Nigerian Airspace Management Agency (NAMA). He said the new financing approach removes NAMA’s equipment procurement from the annual budget cycle.

Also, Ahmed Farouk, the director-general (DG) of NAMA, said the agency now has a fully functional flight calibration unit for validating instrument approach procedures.

Farouk, represented by John Tayo, director of air traffic services, said NAMA has also signed agreements with Sierra Leone and Liberia to support calibration services in line with ICAO requirements.
He said the agency has approved night operations until 10pm at the airports in Owerri, Enugu, Yola, and Ilorin.

FG May Seize Dana Air Assets To Refund Passengers

FG May Seize Dana Air Assets To Refund Passengers

 

Farouk added that the approvals follow calls from stakeholders to extend operating hours beyond Lagos and Abuja.

He also said that ad-hoc approval has been granted to Air Peace for flights to Anambra and Asaba.
“We are always available to grant extension because of our capacity. For now, we will not be able to operate all the airports in the country till 10pm,” he said.

The DG said following Keyamo’s directive, operations have remained open till 10pm at the aforementioned airports.

Economy

Lagos Assembly Strongly Seeks Suspension Of Makoko Demolition

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Lagos Assembly

Lagos Assembly Strongly Seeks Suspension Of Makoko Demolition

Lagos assembly strongly seeks suspension of Makoko demolition. The Lagos state house of assembly has called for the suspension of demolition activities in Makoko, Oko-Agbon and Shogunro waterfront communities following protests by displaced residents and growing public concern over the exercise.

The call was announced on Tuesday by Noheem Adams, chairman of an ad hoc committee set up by Mudashiru Obasa, speaker of the house, during a stakeholders’ meeting held at the Lateef Jakande auditorium.

Adams called on all state ministries to cease demolition work and promised compensation to the affected residents.
“On behalf of the speaker and all 40 members of the house, we are directing that all demolitions in Makoko, Oko-Agbon, and Shogunro communities should stop from today until further notice,” New Telegraph quoted Adams as saying.

He called for transparency by demanding the full list of taskforce members and the criteria used for engagement, insisting that residents must be actively involved in the process.

“That the taskforce that was constituted, we want to see the list of the taskforce because we want the residents to be duly involved and to be carried along. So we want to have the schedule of those task forces and the criteria for those that we are inviting,” Adams added.

Lagos Assembly

Lagos Assembly

“To the residents of Makoko, Oko-Agbon and Shogunro communities, as your representatives, we are giving you all assurances that they will stop demolitions henceforth and there will be compensations for all those whose properties have been demolished.”

Stephen Ogundipe, member of the ad-hoc, said there is need for clear communication, adding that residents targeted for relocation or redevelopment must be informed of the government’s plans in advance.

Babatunde Olajide, special adviser to governor of Lagos on E-GIS and urban renewal, confirmed that $2 million had been earmarked since 2021 to transform Makoko into a modern, internationally compliant water city.

He said enumeration of affected properties is underway and reiterated the administration’s commitment to handling the situation with a human face, prioritizing resident safety and fair compensation.

Yusuf Sagra, baale of Makoko, described the assembly’s decision as a “word of peace,” while Orioye Ogungbure, another leader of the community, praised the “democratic responsiveness” of the government.

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Crime

EFCC Arrests Kannywood Star, Samha Inuwa for Alleged Naira Mutilation In Viral Video

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EFCC Probes Man

EFCC Arrests Kannywood Star, Samha Inuwa for Alleged Naira Mutilation In Viral Video

EFCC arrests Kannywood Star, Samha Inuwa for alleged naira mutilation in viral video. The Kano Zonal Directorate of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC,   on Tuesday, February 3, 2026  arrested a Kannywood Star, Samha Inuwa over alleged Naira mutilation.

Inuwa was arrested following a viral video circulated on social media platforms where she was seen conspicuously cleaning mucus from her nose using Naira notes.

EFCC Probes Man

EFCC

Following the release of the viral video, the Commission swung into action by tracing and subsequently arrested her to answer questions.
She is currently being held at the Commission’s detention facility while investigation is ongoing.

The suspect will be charged to court upon conclusion of investigations.

Dele Oyewale
Head,  Media & Publicity
February 3, 2026

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Economy

Access Bank Gets New Board Chair Ifeyinwa Osime

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National Bank Of Kenya

Access Bank Gets New Board Chair Ifeyinwa Osime

Access Bank gets new board chair Ifeyinwa Osime. Access Bank Plc has appointed Ifeyinwa Osime as chair of the board of directors, following the retirement of Paul Usoro, on January 29.

Access Bank Plc has appointed Ifeyinwa Osime as chair of the board of directors, following the retirement of Paul Usoro, on January 29, according to a statement to the Nigerian Exchange Ltd. on Monday.

Ms Osime, a legal practitioner, joined Access Bank’s board in November 2019 as an independent non-executive director and had chaired its Human Resources and Sustainability Committee and the Governance, Nomination, and Remuneration Committee. This role made her contribute significantly to the bank’s corporate governance, leadership development, and sustainability initiatives.

Additionally, Ms Osime is a director at Ebudo Trust Ltd. and a partner at McPherson Legal Practitioners, where she advises on corporate and commercial matters and contributes to strategic leadership.

She is also a member of the Nigerian Bar Association, the Women Corporate Directors, Nigeria Chapter, and the Chartered Institute of Directors, Nigeria, where she serves on the Executive Committee of the Women Sectoral Group.

National Bank Of Kenya

Access Bank Gets New Board Chair Ifeyinwa Osime

Beyond her professional responsibilities, Ms Osime is committed to mentoring youths and is actively involved in the Autism and Developmental Delays Support Community, reflecting her dedication to inclusion and social impact.
Speaking on her appointment, the group chairman, Aigboje Aig-lmoukhuede, said, “Mrs Osime is a principled and experienced leader with a deep understanding of the Bank’s strategy and values.

“She has demonstrated strong commitment to the bank’s vision and mission, and I am confident that, under her leadership, the bank will continue to advance its strategic objectives of delivering sustainable value to shareholders and other stakeholders in the pursuit of its vision to become the world’s most respected African bank.”

Mr Aig-lmoukhuede also congratulated Mr Usoro on the completion of his tenure and on his exemplary leadership, dedication, and significant contributions to the group, saying he remains a valued member of the Access family.

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