Joe Abah, a former director-general of the Bureau of Public Service Reforms (BPSR), has narrated how a ground engineer prevented another potential air disaster in Nigeria.

In a series of posts via X, Abah said he boarded the Ibom Air flight from Lagos to Abuja on Thursday morning.

He said as the aircraft prepared for take-off, there was a bang on the door from outside, which made the flight attendant to open the door.

“As she did, a ground engineer came in and those of us in front clearly heard him say “You can’t go. Your landing gear is bad,” Abah wrote.

He added that afterwards, the pilot made a “political” announcement that they need to perform some additional checks on the aircraft before take-off.

“He (pilot) spoke with the engineer and, a few seconds later, announced that we were to disembark,” Abah said.

“I thank God that we have the systems in place to check this and avert potential disaster. And that we have some diligent Nigerians who take their work seriously.”

Abah asked the Nigeria Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA) to find him the engineer so that he can personally appreciate him.

Abah added that the incident caused disruptions and delays to the airline’s schedule for the day.

On Tuesday, a Dana Air plane veered off the Lagos airport runway, leading to the diversion of other flights.

The airline has since been grounded by the NCAA.

The money laundering trial of a former governor of Ekiti State, Ayodele Fayose, could not proceed on Thursday as a result of the absence of the trial judge, Justice Chukwujekwu Aneke of the Federal High Court, Lagos.

Justice Aneke was said to be away on an official assignment, prompting the adjournment of the case to July 1 for the continuation of trial.

Fayose is being prosecuted by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) for an alleged N6.9bn fraud and money laundering.

He was first arraigned on Oct. 22, 2018, before Justice Mojisola Olatotegun, alongside his company, Spotless Investment Ltd, on an 11-count charge bordering on fraud and money laundering offences.

He pleaded not guilty to the charge and was granted bail on Oct. 24, 2018, in the sum of N50m with sureties in like sum.

The defendant was re-arraigned before Justice Chukwujekwu Aneke on July 2, 2019, after the case was withdrawn from Justice Olatoregun, following a petition by the EFCC against the judge.

He also pleaded not guilty to the charge and was allowed to continue on the earlier bail granted, while the case was adjourned for trial.

The commission has since opened its case before Justice Aneke and is still leading witnesses in evidence.

According to the charge, on June 17, 2014, Fayose and one Abiodun Agbele were said to have taken possession of the sum of N1.2bn for purposes of funding his gubernatorial election campaign in Ekiti.

Fayose was alleged to have received a cash payment of the sum of five million dollars, (about N1.8bn) from the then Minister of State for Defence, Sen. Musiliu Obanikoro, without going through any financial institution.

He was also alleged to have retained the sum of N300m in his account and took control of the aggregate sums of about N622m.

Fayose was also alleged to have procured De Privateer Ltd and Still Earth Ltd, to retain the aggregate sums of N851m.

Besides, the defendant was alleged to have used the aggregate sums of about N1.6bn, to acquire properties in Lagos and Abuja.

He was also alleged to have used the sum of N200m, to acquire a property in Abuja, in the name of his elder sister Moji Oladeji.

The offences, the charge said contravened the provisions of sections 15(1), 15 (2), 15 (3), 16(2)(b), 16 (d), and 18 (c) of the Money Laundering Prohibition Act 2011.

The charge also argued that Fayose should have known that the monies were proceeds of crime.

He, however, pleaded not guilty to the charge.

The Nigeria Correctional Service (NCoS) says 118 inmates escaped from the Medium Security Custodial Centre in Suleja, Niger state on Wednesday, during a downpour.

In a statement on Thursday, Adamu Duza, spokesperson for the federal capital territory (FCT) command of the NCoS, said the rainfall ravaged parts of the prison.

He added that the command, in collaboration with security agencies, has apprehended 10 of the fleeing inmates, while raising concerns over the weak walls of the facility which he said were built during the colonial era.

“A heavy downpour that lasted for several hours on the night of Wednesday, 24 April 2024 has wreaked havoc on the medium security custodial centre, Suleja, Niger state, as well as surrounding buildings, destroying part of the custodial facility, including its perimeter fence, giving way to the escape of a total of 118 inmates of the facility,” the statement reads.

“The service has immediately activated its recapturing mechanisms, and in conjunction with sister security agencies, has so far recaptured 10 fleeing inmates and taken them into custody, while we are in hot pursuit to recapture the rest.

“The service is not unmindful of the fact that many of its facilities were built during the colonial era and that they are old and weak.

“The service is making frantic efforts to ensure that all aging facilities give way to modern ones.”

He said Francis John, controller of corrections, FCT command, has called on the public to carry on with their normal activities, adding that the service is working to address the situation.