Reps order NCAT director, auctioneer’s arrest over 2 helicopters’ sale

The House of Representatives has directed the police to arrest an alleged unlicensed auctioneer and the Director of Quality Control at the Nigerian College of Aviation Technology (NCAT) in Zaria, Kaduna State, for providing false information on oath.

The alleged false information was in respect of the sale of two helicopters for $1.2 million.

The lawmakers directed the police at the National Assembly to arrest the duo.

The Chairman of the House Committee on Public Assets, Ademola Kuye, said this was part of the resolutions of the committee after interacting with the management of NCAT and other relevant bodies in Abuja on Tuesday, June 25, 2024.

Kuye called on the Inspector-General of Police (IGP), Kayode Egbetokun, to take over the investigation into the alleged illegal sale of the two helicopters by NCAT.

In December 2023, the House commenced an investigation into the state of public assets in the country.

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Kuye said the committee’s mandate was to recover assets and moribund public assets within and outside Nigeria.

This, the lawmaker said, said the helicopters were sold without the approval of the Federal Executive Council.

Kuye further disclosed that the two helicopters bought at $2.4 billion were sold at $1.2 billion without following due process.

He said: “We requested documents of any kind of joint venture; there has been no response to that, whether you have one or not.

“We requested a list of assets, including a comprehensive description and specification of all your listed assets, rented apartments, including acquisition dates and methods, and the current status and conditions of such assets.

“We cannot specifically say that you have satisfied all of these requests. Though you tried to answer some of them, your responses are not adequate.”

The lawmakers also queried the use of an unlicensed auctioneer who failed to provide the needed response to inquiries.

The Coordinator of Nigerian Army Aviation, Musa Alkali, urged the recovery of the two helicopters.

The Star