BREAKING: Nigeria Impounds British Aircraft For Violating Buhari’s Directive

The Nigerian Government has impounded a British aircraft for violating President Muhammadu Buhari’s order on suspension of all commercial flights into the country.

The Minister of Aviation, Hadi Sirika, announced the development in a tweet on Sunday.

Sirika tweeted: “COVID-19. Flair Aviation, a UK company, was given approval for humanitarian operations but regrettably we caught them conducting commercial flights. This is callous! The craft is impounded, crew being interrogated. There shall be maximum penalty. Wrong time to try our resolve!”

COVID-19. Flair Aviation, a UK company, was given approval for humanitarian operations but regrettably we caught them conducting commercial flights. This is callous! The craft is impounded, crew being interrogated. There shall be maximum penalty. Wrong time to try our resolve!??

— Hadi Sirika (@hadisirika) May 17, 2020

President Buhari had on March 13 imposed flight restriction for travelers from 13 countries, before subsequently suspending all international flights into the country on March 21, with the exception of emergency and essential or humanitarian flights.

The restriction was aimed at curbing the further spread of Coronavirus (COVID-19) into the country. 

The federal government had extended the flight ban for another four weeks on May 6.