NCAA suspends two ValueJet pilots for violating safety protocol

The Nigeria Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA) has suspended the licences of Captain Oluranti Ogoyi and First Officer Ivan Oloba, over a serious ValueJet pilot safety breach at Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport, Abuja.

According to a statement released and signed by Michael Achimugu, Director, Public Affairs and Consumer Protection, the pilots were involved in a serious breach of aviation safety regulations on Tuesday, August 5, 2025.

“Preliminary information indicates that the pilot in question commenced departure procedures from the designated bay without adhering to the mandatory pre-departure clearance protocols,” Achimugu said in the statement.

“This reckless action endangered the safety of ground personnel and other airport users, contravening established civil aviation regulations and international safety standards
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This safety breach was said to have endangered the lives of ground personnel and other airport users, in direct violation of civil aviation rules.

To emphasise its zero-tolerance stance on safety violations, NCAA suspended the pilot’s and co-pilot’s licences immediately, pending the outcome of a full-scale investigation.

According to the NCAA, this suspension will remain in place pending the conclusion of a full investigation into the incident.

Ifeoma Okeke-Korieocha

Ifeoma Okeke-Korieocha is the Aviation Correspondent at BusinessDay Media Limited, publishers of BusinessDay Newspapers. She is also the Deputy Editor, BusinessDay Weekender Magazine, the Saturday Weekend edition of BusinessDay. She holds a BSC in Mass Communication from the prestigious University of Nigeria, Nsukka and a Masters degree in Marketing at the University of Lagos. As the lead writer on the aviation desk, Ifeoma is responsible and in charge of the three weekly aviation and travel pages in BusinessDay and BDSunday. She also overseas and edits all pages of BusinessDay Saturday Weekender. She has written various investigative, features and news stories in aviation and business related issues and has been severally nominated for award in the category of Aviation Writer of the Year by the Nigeria Media Nite-Out awards; one of the Nigeria’s most prestigious media awards ceremonies. Ifeoma is a one-time winner of the prestigious Nigeria Media Merit Award under the 'Aviation Writer of the Year' Category. She is the 2025 Eloy Award winner under the Print Media Journalist category. She has undergone several journalism trainings by various prestigious organisations. Ifeoma is also a fellow of the Female Reporters Leadership Fellowship of the Wole Soyinka Centre for Investigative Journalism.