This archive report was first published on 17 May 2020.
On Sunday, Nigerian authorities took swift action against a UK plane that had been operating commercial flights in the country, despite a strict travel ban in place to combat the spread of Covid-19.
The plane, owned by Flair Aviation, a UK-based company, had been given approval for humanitarian operations, but instead, it was found to be carrying passengers in contravention of the regulations.
Nigerian Aviation Minister Hadi Sirika stated that the company had been warned about the regulations, but chose to disregard them, saying, "This is callous! The craft is impounded, crew being interrogated. There shall be maximum penalty. Wrong time to try our resolve."
The move comes as Nigeria continues to grapple with the spread of Covid-19, with 5,621 cases and 176 deaths reported so far. The country had closed its airports to international flights in late March, and the Presidential Taskforce on Covid-19 had extended the closure, as well as imposing a curfew and restrictions on inter-state travel.
President Muhammadu Buhari had also received a shipment of the Madagascan herbal medication, CVO, for treatment, but had stated that he would only consider its use after consulting with scientific experts.
