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Arik Air’s fleet has been grounded over a controversial $2.5 million debt.

.The Nigerian Airspace Management Agency (NAMA) said on Tuesday that the action was informed by an order by the enforcement department of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) High Court, regarding a debt of $2.5m owed by Arik to Atlas Petroleum International Ltd.

“On the 19th day of July, 2024, the enforcement department of the FCT High Court enforced an Order made by the Court regarding a debt of $2.5 million owed by Arik Airline to one Atlas Petroleum International Ltd. by attaching their aircrafts. Arik was further given a notice of public auction of the planes by the court which was slated to hold on the 26th day of July 2024 if they fail to pay the Judgment debt. All these were served on our agency and also on our Supervising Minister, the Minister of Aviation,” NAMA said in a statement.

It said that records show that on the 8th day of March, 2016, the judgment debtor (ARIK) appealed the decision of the Lagos High Court, entering judgment against it to the Court of Appeal.

“On 30th September, 2021, the appeal was dismissed by the Court of Appeal in a unanimous decision with cost.

“ARIK again appealed to the Supreme Court for leave to appeal the decision of the Court of Appeal, and on the 9th day of January, 2024, the Supreme Court, per Okoro, J.S.C., delivered its Ruling dismissing the Judgment Debtor’s application for leave to appeal.”

The statement said the judgment creditor (Atlas) registered the judgment of the Lagos State High Court at the High Court of FCT and On the 26th day of June, 2024, Justice O. A. Adeniyi, (then sitting in Court 8, Maitama, Abuja),  made an order after hearing Motion No: M/9785/2024 filed on  behalf of Atlas Petroleum attaching all the moveable properties belonging to the judgment debtor, including the judgment debtor’s aircraft. It noted that copies of the order and certificate of judgment were also served on us and the minister.

“We understand too that Arik has obtained an exparte order stopping FURTHER EXECUTION of the order, though we have not been formally served. In the circumstances, since the first execution took place by attaching the aircrafts, further execution by way of sale can be halted whilst the parties go back to court to resolve the issues. However, in order to preserve the subject matter of the present dispute which are the aircrafts in question (the res), which have already been attached, we have decided to comply with the effect of the Supreme Court order, by grounding the aircrafts (subject of dispute) so that they are not taken out of the jurisdiction of the court or tampered with in a way as to frustrate the courts.”

However, Roy Ilegbodu, CEO of Arik Air (In Receivership), has slammed Festus Keyamo, aviation minister, blaming him for his sudden decision to ground the airline’s fleet, calling it a ‘disastrous’ and ‘unjust’ move that disregards ongoing judicial processes and prioritises private interests over the public good.

In a statement, Ilegbodu expressed his deep disappointment and frustration over the minister’s decision, which he said was made without warning or consultation.

“This is a devastating blow to our passengers, employees, and the Nigerian economy,” he said.

Ilegbodu accused the minister of ignoring the airline’s commitment to connecting people and facilitating commerce, particularly on critical domestic routes.

He said, “The grounding of our fleet will leave passengers stranded and inflate already high travel costs, hurting everyday Nigerians who rely on our flights for business, family, and essential activities.”

The CEO also expressed outrage over the minister’s disregard for ongoing judicial processes.

“We are perplexed as to why the grounding of our fleet was ordered, despite clear court directives to maintain status quo. This is an overreach of the ongoing judicial processes and directives of court, and it undermines the rule of law.”Ilegbodu urged the authorities to reconsider the decision and lift the grounding order, allowing Arik Air to continue serving the public and supporting the economy.

“We are committed to following the legal process and have full faith in the judiciary to resolve these matters fairly,” he said.

The CEO expressed gratitude to passengers and employees for their support and understanding during this challenging time.

BY  Okeri Ngutjinazo

Nigerians are gearing up for nationwide protests this week, drawing inspiration from youth-led movements that have shaken the Kenyan government and sparked intense crackdowns in Uganda.

Across Africa, young people have been at the forefront of recent waves of protest, driven by unhappiness about their current living conditions and political leaders' failure to deliver economic progress.

In Nigeria, thousands of people are expected to take to the streets on Thursday to protest against the high cost of living and the government's handling of the economy.

In recent months, the country has experienced scattered protests, including a labor union strike that disrupted air travel and caused widespread power outages. The nationwide demonstration is expected to be the largest since the #ENDSars movement against police violence in 2020.

The protests, organized mainly by young people, have gained support on social media through the hashtags "EndBadGovernanceinNigeria" and "RevolutionNow." The organizers demand that President Bola Tinubu's government address hunger and economic hardship.

Nigerian youth groups have drawn significant inspiration from recent events in Kenya. There, demonstrations by led by the so-called Gen Z, a name given to the cohort of young people between the ages of 13 and 27, compelled President William Ruto to dismiss his entire cabinet and revoke an unpopular tax hike bill. This also inspired neighboring Uganda to hold a brief protest.

'Nigerians taken for granted'

"If there's any country in the world where people have been taken for granted on account of their patience, Nigeria will be ranked number one," said Ibrahim Baba Shatambaya, a political commentator and lecturer at Usman Danfodiyo University in Sokoto.

Shatambaya told DW that the political and ruling elites had maintained social divisions among the populace for years to retain control. But the growing discontent in the country was beginning to have an impact.

"Manipulations that were used over the years by the political elites to keep the people in check seem to have faltered and people are demanding that the government should act responsibly," he said.

Nigerians have criticized the government's decision to scrap a long-cherished fuel subsidy. Its removal has led to a substantial increase in the cost of living. Many blame their current suffering on the reforms introduced since President Tinubu took office in May 2023.

Ironically, Tinubu played a crucial role in the 2012 Occupy Nigeria demonstrations, which opposed President Goodluck Jonathan's government's removal of the fuel subsidies. Now, the tables have turned, and like Jonathan, Tinubu finds himself under pressure. He has frequently said that discontinuing fuel subsidies was necessary to prevent the country from going bankrupt.

The US-based World Bank and International Monetary Fund have said the measures were needed to revive Nigeria's economy.

Nigerian leaders seek to stop protests

Authorities in Nigeria have urged young people to stay away from demonstrations. Some top officials have even accused the protest organizers of treason and seeking to destabilize the country.

Ogun State Governor Prince Dapo Abiodun cautioned the youth against protesting and called for constructive engagement with the government to find lasting solutions to Nigeria's problems.

"We must recognize that no investor will be attracted to a country perceived as unstable due to frequent protests. We should not allow ourselves to be manipulated by leaderless movements, often sponsored by frustrated politicians who have failed to gain power," Abiodun said while speaking as a guest of honor at the 22nd convocation ceremony of Babcock University in Ilisan Remo in Nigeria's Ogun State.

However, opposition leader Atiku Abubakar of the People's Democratic Party insisted that the government must provide security for "peaceful protests."

"Any attempt to suppress these rights is not only unconstitutional but a direct affront to our democracy," Abubakar said on X.

DW correspondent Shehu Salmanu said the youth groups had alerted the Nigerian police force and all security agencies and "there's no going back for them to take to the street on August 1."

"It's one of the indications that the youth are desperate to have their demands or their problems solved," he said.

Travel warnings issued for Nigeria

Some Western countries have issuied security warnings to their citizens in Nigeria ahead of the planned protests.

The UK Foreign Office warned of the risks of unrest from July 29 to August 10. 

"This period could see increased risks of disruption, with possible effects on transport and infrastructure. Past protests have turned violent with little warning. Exercise caution when travelling, avoid large crowds and gatherings and monitor local media reporting," the Foreign Office stated on their website.

The US embassy advised American citizens to avoid crowds and demonstrations, while Canada warned the planned protests "could turn violent at any time" in a similar advisory.

The trauma of the #EndSARS protests still lingers in the minds of many Nigerians, particularly the shooting at the Lekki toll booth in Lagos State, where the army opened fire on peaceful demonstrators.

The 2020 #EndSARS rallies began over abuses by the SARS anti-robbery police squad and spiraled into the largest anti-government demonstrations in Nigeria's modern history.

The brutal crackdown was widely documented live on social media. Amnesty International said at least 10 were killed at the Lekki toll gate. The government and the army have denied responsibility.

Deep frustration among Africa's youth

Daniel Silke, director of the Cape Town-based Political Futures Consultancy, told DW that many young people across the continent feel a deep sense of frustration, partly due to rising prices and governments' inability to connect with the youth's needs and provide them with sufficient opportunities.

Silke also noted that governments are under increasing pressure to raise funds through indirect taxes and other revenue-generation schemes.

"Governments themselves suffer under relatively high debt and therefore also can't provide sufficient infrastructure and opportunities for Africa's youth. So there is in a sense a cycle here, a vicious cycle that stretches from a non-responsive government to a frustrated youth component," Silke added.

This, in turn, has led to more vocal demonstrations across the continent. In June, young Kenyans took to the streets in mass anti-government protests demanding the removal of a new finance bill and calling for President William Ruto to step down.

Following the nationwide protests, the Lagos airport terminals on Thursday morning were crowded as passengers schedule to fly in the morning, afternoon and evening arrived very early to the flights over fear of impact from the protests.

While the airport environments were empty with skeletal vehicle movements, the airport terminals at Murtala Muhammed International Airport (MMIA), Murtala Muhammed Airport 2, (MMA2) and General Aviation Terminal (GAT) are crowded with air passengers awaiting their schedule flight time.

BusinessDay’s findings showed that airlines have been operating their flight, while a few have had to cancel their flights as a result of impact of the protects.

For instance, Air Peace canceled its Kano and Ibadan flights, while Value Jet delayed one of its flights on the domestic route.

Sources at the airport told BusinessDay that there are some flight delays which are caused by the protests, while some are caused by the weather situation.

Air Peace delayed its Benin flight as a result of weather.

“Some airlines have had to delay their flights to enable other passengers who are running late join the flight while others had to delay because of the current fussy weather across the country,” the source told BusinessDay.

“Air Peace’s Kano and Ibadan were cancelled. Benin flight was delayed as a result of weather.”

Jennifer Onyedika, a passenger at the airport who spoke to BusinessDay on the phone said she arrived the MMA2 airport around 5.30am for her 3pm flight to Abuja to avoid been held up by the protest.

“A lot of people at the airport arrived very early in the morning and that’s why the airport is crowded. People are just waiting at the airport for their flights, most of whom their flights are in the afternoon and evening,” Onyedika said.

She said most airlines have been operating with few cancellations and delays which are understandable.

“I’m happy the airline staff are managing the crowd as everyone is being attended to according to their flight time, so as to decongest the airport terminal,” she added.

Food vendors at the airport are making huge sales as passengers order for food and drinks while they await their flights.

Already links roads leading to the airport are being blocked making it difficult passengers and vehicles to access the airport terminals.

BY Ope Adetayo and Isaac Anyaogu

KEY POINTS

• Police fire tear gas at protesters in Abuja
• Nigerians grappling with inflation, insecurity
• Protesters demand subsidized fuel, free education
• Demonstrations inspired by Kenya’s youth-led protests

ABUJA, Aug 1 (Reuters) – Police fired tear gas to disperse crowds of protesters in Nigeria’s capital city Abuja on Thursday, as thousands rallied against escalating cost of living and governance issues in Africa’s most populous nation, according to eyewitness accounts.

Protesters demonstrated in Abuja, the commercial capital Lagos and several other cities to show discontent with economic reforms that have led to rampant inflation and inflicted increasing hardship on ordinary Nigerians. President Bola Tinubu has vowed to pursue the changes that he says are needed to keep the country afloat.

Authorities deployed armed security personnel in an effort to preempt potential violence.

In Lagos, armed police watched as protesters marched towards the government house and then proceeded to two locations that were authorised for the protest. Some shopping malls in the city were shut and guarded by a heavy police presence.

Inspired by protests in Kenya in June that led to the government there scrapping some planned tax increases, Nigerians are mobilizing online to demand the reinstatement of subsidies for petrol and electricity, free primary and secondary education and measures to combat insecurity, among other demands.

In Abuja, the military mounted roadblocks along the highway leading into town, while some protesters gathered at a stadium.

Youths demonstrated in the city of Maiduguri, the hotbed of a militant insurgency in the northeast of the country, in the face of a heavy security presence, to voice their frustration at the government and its policies.

TINUBU REFORMS

The government said before the protests it was open to dialogue.

Tinubu has asked citizen to bear with his reforms, but citizen complain that politicians are not making enough sacrifices themselves.

After taking office more than a year ago, Tinubu removed some fuel subsidies, devalued the naira currency and later hiked electricity tariffs, moves that have sent inflation soaring past 34%, eroding incomes.

Consumer inflation rose to a new 28-year high of 34.19% in annual terms in June.

Nigerians are also grappling with widespread insecurity, which has damaged the farming sector, while armed gangs kidnap residents and school children for ransom in the north.

Labour unions have led previous protests. But Thursday’s march was mostly by unemployed youth – introducing a new element for the government trying to lessen the impact of its economic policies

Tinubu signed a new minimum wage into law on Monday to help workers cope with hardship caused by his economic changes, but many of the country’s 200 million people are either self-employed or do not have jobs.

(Additional reporting by Camillus Eboh in Abuja and Ahmed Kingimi in MaiduguriWriting by Chijioke OhuochaEditing by Bate Felix and Frances Kerry)

By Elizabeth Adegbesan

Nigeria’s spending on kerosene type jet fuel importation fell quarter-on-quarter (QoQ) by 87 percent  to N31 billion in the first quarter of 2024 (Q1’24) from N239.18 billion in Q4’23.

Meanwhile, according to a report on ‘Foreign Trade in Goods Statistics’ by the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) for Q1’24, also indicated that the product was among the top traded in West Africa during the period.

Jet A-1 is a kerosene-type fuel compatible with most jet aircraft, both civil and military, helicopter turbine engines, turboprops and compression-ignition piston engines.

Recall that in March 2024, a statement by the Director of Public Relations and Information, AVM. Edward Gabkwet,  noted that the Chief of Air Staff, Air Marshal Hassan Abubakar,    decried the high costs of fuel prices as well as the introduction of surcharges, while    pleading with the National Assembly to permit the Air Force to import Jet A-1 fuel to sustain ongoing air operations.

According to Abubakar, the cost of Jet A-1 was about N1,200 per litre as against the N360 per litre the service budgeted for adding that this    issue was affecting the effectiveness of the NAF.

This comes at the backdrop of a shipment of jet fuel to Europe by Dangote Refinery, with stakeholders expecting that in-country distribution would have addressed the issue of  high cost of the product in Nigeria.

The inaugural shipment, loaded onto the “Doric Breeze” vessel, departed from the Lekki Free Zone in Lagos on May 27th and is currently en route to Rotterdam, Netherlands, according to S&P Global Commodities at Sea data.

The cargo, containing 45,000 metric tons of jet fuel, was awarded to BP as part of a 120,000-metric-ton tender offered by the refinery. Spanish refiner Cepsa also secured a portion of the tender.

Fadimata Kontao and Tiemoko Diallo

BAMAKO, Aug 1 (Reuters) – Mali will set up a state-owned airline to service the vast, landlocked West African country more than a decade after the closure of the last national airline, the government announced on Wednesday night.

The new airline, Mali Airlines-SA, will service regional capitals, the military-led government said in a statement, but provided few other details.

Mali, which covers a swathe of the Sahel five times the size of Britain, shares 7,420 kilometres (4,610 miles) of border with seven countries, according to the statement.

Road travel can be dangerous in Mali, which has been struggling to contain a separatist rebellion and insurgencies by jihadist groups linked to al Qaeda and Islamic State that began more than a decade ago and have since spread into neighbouring Burkina Faso and Niger, as well as coastal countries.

Ethnic Tuareg rebels and Islamist fighters have killed a large number of Malian soldiers and their Russian allies in recent days.

The Council of Ministers adopted draft texts concerning the creation and approval of the airline during their weekly meeting on Wednesday.

In July, Mali said it was unable to refuel commercial aircraft in its capital Bamako due to fuel shortages and asked airlines to refuel elsewhere for a one-week period.

Airlines including Turkish Airlines and Ethiopian Airlines currently service Bamako.

(Reporting by Fadimata Kontao and Tiemoko Diallo; Writing by Portia Crowe; Editing by Alex Richardson)

BY  Abraham Achirga, Hamza Ibrahim, Ahmed Kingimi and Seun Sanni

ABUJA, Aug 2 (Reuters) – Police in Nigeria have been put on red alert and may seek the help of the military after protests turned violent in some cities, leaving at least three people dead, the inspector general of police said.

Some major cities, including the capital Abuja and Kano in the north, which on Thursday witnessed clashes between police and demonstrators and looting, appeared calm early on Friday as protests were expected to continue.

Kayode Egbetokun said late on Thursday that police had fully mobilized and were prepared to respond swiftly to any further threats to public safety and order.

“In the light of the current situation, the Nigeria Police Force has placed all units on red alert,” Egbetokun said.

“The Police is equipped to respond appropriately to the unfolding situation and will get assistance from other security agencies, including the military if the need arises.”

Inspired by youth-led protests in Kenya, Nigerians organised the “#EndBadGovernanceInNigeria” protests online, saying they would sustain their action for 10 days.

Protesters have been angered by President Bola Tinubu’s economic reforms that have caused rampant inflation, weakened the currency and inflicted increasing hardship on ordinary Nigerians.

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Tinubu says that while he understands the pain caused by the reforms, they are the only way to put Nigeria’s economy on a firm path to economic growth.

Kano, a largely Muslim state and among the most populous in Nigeria, imposed a 24-hour curfew after protesters looted a shop and a government complex, while three other states also imposed curfews in some areas.

(Reporting by Abraham Achirga in Abuja, Hamza Ibrahim in Kano, Ahmed Kingimi in Maiduguri and Seun Sanni in Lagos, Writing by MacDonald DzirutweEditing by Chijioke Ohuocha and Giles Elgood)

Following the demand of the Managing Director of the Federal Airport Authority of Nigeria (FAAN), Olubunmi Kuku, for quicker implementation of AviaCargo’s Roadmap Committee findings, a pilot project of exports through four selected airports, is underway.

This was revealed at a meeting between FAAN and the enlarged membership of the AviaCargo Roadmap Committee.It was disclosed that there will be a trial run of exports of perishables from harvesting at the farm through the Lagos Airport.

There will also be another trial run of cereals through the Kano Airport, another through the Enugu Airport as well as one Jos Airport. According to a statement made available to journalists, the trial runs are to test the effectiveness of the Air Cargo Pathway developed by the Roadmap Committee.

The trial runs will involve the stakeholders of the Air Cargo Ecosystem. Other agencies of government will all be involved in the pilot projects. A subcommittee headed by the Nigerian Agricultural Quarantine Service (NAQS) representative was set up to strategise and fast-track the implementation of the trial runs. It was given two weeks to submit its report.

“Air cargo is of great importance to this government. We want things done a little faster,” Kuku said. The roadmap committee, set up in December 2022, has seen changes in FAAN executives three times with Kuku taking over in December 2023.

Though the change disrupted the project, FAAN had implemented some parts of the suggestions made by the committee, creating a new directorate of cargo development and services.

(Bloomberg) -- Iran signaled it wants to avoid all-out war with Israel, even as it threatened to retaliate for last week’s assassination of a leading Hamas figure in its capital.

Tehran, which had already vowed revenge for the killing of Ismail Haniyeh, said it aimed to deter Israel from repeating similar moves. Israel’s neither confirmed nor denied being responsible.

“Reinforcing stability and security in the region will be achieved by punishing the aggressor and creating deterrence against Israel and its adventurism,” a spokesperson for Iran’s foreign ministry told reporters on Monday in Tehran.

The Islamic Republic has the right, within the framework of international law, to punish Israel but does not want to escalate tensions in the Middle East, the spokesperson, Nasser Kanaani, said.

The Israeli shekel fell for a sixth day on Monday to around 3.82 per dollar, its weakest level on a closing basis since November. Israeli stocks steadied after Iran’s latest comments but are still down heavily in the last three trading sessions. Part of the fall in the shekel and equities may be down to a rout across global stock markets on Monday.

Israel’s in a “multi-front war against Iran’s axis of evil,” Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said on Sunday. “We are striking every one of its arms with great force. We are prepared for any scenario – both offensively and defensively.”

The US, which is moving a fighter jet squadron to the region and keeping an aircraft carrier nearby to help Israel, is pressing Netanyahu to redouble efforts to reach a cease-fire deal with Hamas over their war in Gaza. The US and Arab states believe an end to fighting in the Palestinian territory would calm the region.

Group of Seven foreign ministers spoke on Sunday about the risks of a regional war. US Secretary of State Antony Blinken said their was an “urgent need for de-escalation.”

Blinken told his G-7 counterparts that an attack on Israel by Iran and Hezbollah could begin as early as Monday, Axios reported.

Haniyeh was killed just hours after a deadly airstrike in Beirut against Fuad Shukr, a senior Hezbollah commander. Israel said it was responsible for that hit and blamed Shukr for organizing a rocket attack on the Israeli-controlled Golan Heights that killed 12 children and teenagers playing football.

Hezbollah, which has been exchanging fire with Israel across Lebanon’s border since the war in Gaza started in October, has also threatened to retaliate against the Jewish state. The Shiite group may act in coordination with Iran, its sponsor.

Iran and Israel exchanged fire in April when Tehran accused its arch enemy of striking a consulate building in Syria. Iran launched 300 drones and missiles at Israel. Yet it effectively telegraphed the move in advance, helping Israel and its allies intercept almost all the projectiles and ensuring they caused little damage. Israel, under pressure from the US and Europe not to respond aggressively, launched a limited strike on an Iranian airbase.

This time, Iran’s revenge may be more fierce, given the sheer embarrassment of having a foreign dignitary assassinated in the heart of its capital. Its options range from another direct assault on Israel to getting its proxies to step up attacks on the country to hitting Israeli targets across the world.

Hamas and Hezbollah are both designated terrorist organizations by the US and are part of what’s often called Iran’s ‘Axis of Resistance,’ a group of anti-Israel and anti-US militias in the Middle East.

The war in Gaza erupted when Hamas fighters swarmed into southern Israel on Oct. 7, killing 1,200 people and taking 250 hostage. Israel’s subsequent offensive on Gaza has killed around 40,000 Palestinians, according to the Hamas-run health ministry there.

(Updates throughout.)

ABUJA, Aug 4 (Reuters) – Nigeria’s President Bola Tinubu called on Sunday for a suspension of protests against a cost of living crisis, saying this would create an opportunity for dialogue, his first public comments since frustrated citizens took to the streets last week.

Amnesty International has said at least 13 people were killed in clashes with security forces on the first day of protests on Thursday. Police denied using excessive force and said seven people had died as of Saturday – four from an explosive device during a march in northeast Borno state, two who were hit by a car and another who was shot by a guard when protesters looted a shop.

In a televised broadcast, Tinubu called for an end to violence in several states since the protests started, saying he was always open for dialogue.

“My dear Nigerians, especially our youth, I have heard you loud and clear. I understand the pain and frustration that drive these protests, and I want to assure you that our government is committed to listening and addressing the concerns of our citizens,” he said.

Nigerians have been mobilising online to organise protests against economic hardship and bad governance and have called for a cut in petrol prices and electricity tariffs, among several demands.

Tinubu, in office since May 2023, defended his economic reforms, which have included a partial end to petrol and electricity subsidies and devaluation of the naira, as necessary to reverse years of economic mismanagement.

He government revenues had more than doubled to 9.1 trillion naira ($5.65 billion) in the first half of this year while 68% of revenue now went to debt servicing, down from 97% before he took office in May last year.

The government was also ramping up spending on infrastructure projects, started a loan scheme for university students and was building thousands of housing units across Nigeria’s 36 states, the president said.

“But we must not let violence and destruction tear our nation apart,” said Tinubu.

($1 = 1,610.9000 naira)

(Writing by MacDonald Dzirutwe; Editing by Frances Kerry)