Canaanland Risks Losing Airstrip As Reps Seek Revocation Of Private Licenses

The house of representatives has asked Festus Keyamo, minister of aviation and aerospace development, to revoke airstrip licences issued to individuals and organisations.

The lower legislative chamber passed the resolution during the plenary session on Wednesday after the adoption of a motion of urgent public importance.

Sulaiman Abubakar, a lawmaker representing the Gummi/Bukkuyum federal constituency of Zamfara state, sponsored the motion.

An airstrip is a runway or landing area for aircraft usually situated in rural or remote areas with limited facilities for private planes, emergency landings, or military operations.

Early this month, Keyamo reportedly confirmed the approval of an airstrip for Canaanland — where the Living Faith church, also known as Winners Chapel, is situated in Otta, Ogun state.

Moving the motion, the lawmaker cited a 2014 report of an aircraft that was arrested in South Africa from Nigeria.

Two Nigerians and an Israeli were said to have attempted to smuggle $9.3 million in the chartered aircraft into South Africa to purchase weapons.

Abubakar said Nigeria’s insecurity is worsened by the illegal importation and proliferation of firearms and ammunition and the importation of illicit or hard drugs.

“This is coupled with the inability of our security agencies to pinpoint the source of supply of weapons to insurgents, kidnappers, and separatists that have massacred thousands of Nigerians across the country,” the lawmaker said.

He said granting airstrips to private individuals and organisations “will aid illegal importation of firearms and hard drugs into the country, thus heightening insurgency, kidnapping, banditry, and other vices that are seriously affecting the socio-economic development of the country”.

The motion was adopted when it was put to a voice vote by Tajudeen Abbas, speaker of the house.

The house asked the aviation ministry to “stop issuance of airstrip license to private individuals and organisations” and should withdraw such approvals already granted to safeguard national security.

The house asked the committees on aviation and legislative compliance to ensure implementation.