Editor
By Fatima Saka
House of Representative on Wednesday undercover fraudulent activities on two helicopter auctions by the Nigerian College of Aviation Technology, Zaria to private bodies without dully procedures.
The two helicopters were bought at twenty four million dollars each, two Bell 206L4 BZB and Bell M2061- L4 Helicopters and sold at $650,000 and $550,000 separately in May 2023 to Premier Jet Services and Blue Horn companies being bought as scraps.
According to the agency that payment of the sales of those helicopters were transmitted in naira into the federation account.
The Acting Rector of the College, Shaka Imalighwe who led the team to the investigative hearing stressed that he was the Deputy Rector of the college as of the time the helicopters were sold, he was not part of the team and committee that facilitated their sales.
The rector told the committee that he took over the management of the college in acting capacity in January 2024.
After thorough investigation, The Chairman of the Committee on Public Assets, Hon. Ademorin Kuye said the sale of those helicopters are shrouded in fraud and a lot of criminality.
“We are going to get to the bottom of it to make sure that those helicopters are recovered for Nigerians and for the benefit of Nigerians.
Speaking with the newsmen after the investigative hearing, the chairman said that the committee has invited the former Minister of Aviation because it was under him that this helicopter was sold without a fake approver.
The committee further summoned the Minister of Aviation to appear before it in the next investigative hearing, the Ministry of Works, Ministry of Finance Incorporated, MOFI, both immediate past and present Rector of Nigeria College of Aviation Technology among others.
