Nigerian Airspace Management Agency (NAMA) has come out to say that its system did not record any missing plane.
Also, the Nigerian Police said that the private jet with registration number N972TF at Dapsey Filling Station, Igando, did not crash land.
This is coming on the heels of the sudden appearance of the jet at the Lagos suburb on Thursday morning.
Engineer Nnamdi Udoh, managing director, Nigeria Airspace Management Agency (NAMA) described the aircraft in question as a junk belonging to a church.
‘’This morning, (Thursday) we were inundated with phone calls and enquiries over a crash involving a small aircraft but there is nothing like that ,it is a hoax because our system did not capture any missing plane,” Udoh affirmed in Lagos while dispelling the rumour.
The American registered aircraft is marked- N972TF.
NAMA boss said in a statement that the aircraft belongs to Late Apostle Gabriel Oduyemi of Bethel Ministries and had long been parked at a NAMA facility up till Wednesday night when it was eventually removed.
“The aircraft was actually released to Captain M.J. Ekehinde who will be using it for educational purposes in Badagry, Lagos. A cross section of the wings was removed to ease transportation to its new location.
“I affirm again that NAMA facilities are working at optimal level and this could have assisted in detecting any missing plane within the nation’s airspace.
“While we appreciate the concern of the public on sighting the plane at an unusual site, we urge that people should always contact police and local government officials for proper information before spreading the news on incident involving any aircraft,” he advised.
Elsewhere, ASP Damascus Ozouani, Lagos State Deputy Police Public Relations officer (PPRO), explained that a private jet with registration number N972TF at Dapsey Filling Station, Igando, did not crash land.
Ozouani told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Lagos that the disused jet was being towed from the Murtala Muhammed Airport, Ikeja, to Badagry when one of its tyres burst.
NAN correspondent at the filling station observed that the jet which can accommodate about eight passengers, has the inscription “Gabriel Oduyemi World Crusades” on its tail board.
The filling station had become a Mecca of sort to passers-by the time NAN visited the area.
Ozouani said at about 12:45 a.m., the command got a directive to escort the jet from MMA Ikeja to Badagry (by road).
“The operation was led by one Capt. Matthew Ekehinde, but in the process of the journey, one of the jet’s tyres burst at College Bus Stop and the jet could not move.
“It was parked at Dapsey Filling Station along Igando for repairs .We have provided security for the plane until it is moved to Badagry,” he said.
Ozouani said that the movement of the jet to Badagry from Ikeja was in response to the Federal Government’s directives that plane owners should remove non-operational aircraft from the nation’s airsides and tarmacs because they constitute security and safety risks.
NAN observed that the right flank tyre of the jet had already burst while the two front ones and the left flank tyres have begun to deflate.
Also, some parts of the right and left wings of the jet had been cut with saws to reduce its within conformity with what could be towed on a motorway.