Court Nullifies Sale of Controversial ‘Nigeria Air’ to Ethiopian Airlines, Tells FG To Stop Plans

A Federal High Court in Lagos has nullified the sale of a 49 per cent equity stake in Nigeria Air to Ethiopian Airlines. The agreement initiated by the former Buhari administration was declared invalid.

Justice Ambrose Lewis-Allagoa ruled on August 5, 2024, that the federal government must stop its plans to establish Nigeria Air. The ruling came in response to a lawsuit filed by the Registered Trustees of the Airline Operators of Nigeria, along with five other aviation stakeholders, including Air Peace, Azman Air, Max Air, United Nigeria Airlines, and Topbrass Aviation.

The plaintiffs argued that the bidding process was biased and favoured Ethiopian Airlines, a foreign entity owned by Ethiopian Airlines. The court granted most of the plaintiffs’ requests, except for a claim of ₦2 billion in damages. The defendants in the case included Nigeria Air Limited, Ethiopian Airlines, former Aviation Minister Hadi Sirika, and former Attorney General Abubakar Malami.

The plaintiffs raised concerns about excluding local airlines from the bidding process. They alleged that the federal government had not followed proper guidelines, which led to Ethiopian Airlines being the sole bidder.

Recall that the proposed national carrier is affiliated with many controversies and fraud allegations. West Africa Weekly’s award-winning investigative series in mid-2023 played a crucial role in uncovering the fraud surrounding Nigeria Air.

Months after the report, the Ministry of Aviation announced the project’s suspension, and the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) launched an investigation into the deal. Former Aviation Minister Hadi Sirika, who unveiled Nigeria Air a few days before the end of the past administration, was recently arraigned on multiple fraud charges alongside his daughter Fatimah and his son-in-law Jalal Hamma.

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