The Minister of Aviation and Aerospace Development, Festus Keyamo, has said that private planes cannot take off or land at private airstrips without clearance from the government.
Keyamo made this known on Sunday during an interview with Channels TV.
The House of Representatives had, two months ago, called for the revocation of licenses granted to private airstrip owners, including Oyedepo, citing allegations of illegal arms importation by terrorism sponsors.
Speaking on the security issue, Keyamo stated that procedures for all private aircraft are in place to ensure that no plane, drone, or other type of aircraft can leave or enter Nigeria without proper authorisation.
Keyamo also described the steps involved, noting, “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 processes before flying out.
“So nobody uses an airstrip for any such purpose without seeking clearance. At every point in time, the authorities must approve.”
