The Federal Government has allocated a cumulative N10.61bn for the overhaul of engines on the Gulfstream G550 aircraft assigned to Vice President Kashim Shettima over a three-year period, an analysis of appropriation bills from 2024 to 2026 has revealed.

The aircraft, registered as 5N-FGW, received the highest single allocation among all engine overhaul projects in the Presidential Air Fleet, accounting for 55 per cent of the N19.27bn total spent on engine maintenance across the fleet under the President Bola Tinubu administration.

Budget documents obtained and analysed by The PUNCH show that the allocation for overhauling the vice president’s aircraft engines jumped from N1.24bn in 2024 to N5.51bn in 2025—a 345 per cent increase—before settling at N3.86bn in 2026.

The 2024 Appropriation Bill listed the project under code ERGP31206170 as “Overhaul of 5N-FGW Engines” with a “NEW” status and an allocation of N1.24bn. By 2025, the project’s status changed to “ONGOING” with the allocation rising to N5.51bn, before declining to N3.86bn in 2026 while maintaining its “ONGOING” status.

The 13-year-old Gulfstream G550, which flies under the call sign “Nigerian Air Force 2” when carrying the vice president, has been plagued by technical faults that have led to cancellations of Shettima’s international trips in the past.

In May 2024, Shettima was forced to abort his trip to the United States for the 2024 US-Africa Business Summit in Dallas, Texas, after the aircraft developed a technical fault mid-flight.

The incident occurred less than a month after President Tinubu was compelled to charter a private jet to Saudi Arabia when the same Gulfstream jet, originally assigned to the vice president, developed an oxygen leak in the Netherlands. Four months later, in October 2024, the vice president again cancelled his trip to the Commonwealth Heads of Government Summit in Samoa after a foreign object hit the aircraft during a stopover at JFK Airport in New York.

Presidency officials, who spoke on condition of anonymity to our correspondent, said the repeated technical failures may have prompted urgent maintenance, which in turn drove the escalating budget allocations.

Aside from the vice president’s aircraft, the FG also allocated funds for overhauling engines on two Falcon 7X jets (registered 5N-FGV and 5N-FGU), which received N1.66bn in 2024, N3.13bn in 2025, and N2.19bn in 2026, totalling N6.98bn over the three years. Additionally, a Gulfstream jet registered 5N-FGS received N1.68bn for engine overhaul in 2024, though no further allocations were made for it in subsequent years.

In total, engine overhaul projects across the Presidential Air Fleet consumed N4.58bn in 2024, N8.65bn in 2025, and N6.05bn in 2026, bringing the three-year aggregate to N19.27bn.

A close study of the allocation patterns revealed that engine maintenance costs peaked in 2025, a year after the Presidency took delivery of the N150bn Airbus A330, which the Spokesman to the President, Bayo Onanuga, argued would “save Nigeria huge maintenance and fuel costs, running into millions of dollars yearly.”

While engine overhaul spending for older aircraft declined by 30 per cent in 2026 compared to 2025, routine aircraft maintenance allocations under line item 22020407 increased by 10 per cent, from N4.12bn in 2025 to N4.54bn in 2026.

Aviation experts say aircraft age influences maintenance costs.

“These aircraft are not new. The older the aircraft, the higher the cost of maintenance and operation. So, the cost will increase over the years,” said General Secretary of the Aviation Round Table, Olumide Ohunayo. He argued that the Gulfstream G550, now 13 years old, requires increasingly frequent and expensive overhauls as critical components, such as engines, approach the end of their operational lifespan.

“The figure likely includes far more than the direct cost of repairing the aircraft,” Chief Executive Officer of Centurion Security Limited, John Ojikutu, stated.

“Engine overhauls are mandatory at specified intervals, regardless of whether the aircraft has been flown extensively or not,” explained an aircraft maintenance engineer who requested anonymity. “For a jet like the G550, a complete engine overhaul can cost anywhere from $1.5m to $3m per engine, depending on the condition and the extent of work required. If you see the cost increase, it could mean they’re replacing major components, not just doing standard checks. It could also show that they deferred previous maintenance and have to do catch-up work.”

The Presidential Air Fleet, managed by the Nigerian Air Force and headquartered at the Presidential Wing of Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport, Abuja, currently operates 10 aircraft, including six fixed-wing jets and four helicopters.

Critics have long argued that Nigeria’s presidential fleet is among the largest in Africa and disproportionately expensive for a country grappling with severe fiscal constraints.

The Executive Chairman of the Centre for Anti-Corruption and Open Leadership, Debo Adeniran, argued that the administration’s spending habits were opposite to Nigerians’ expectations of frugality.

“What we are getting from this administration is the opposite of our expectations. We thought we would have an administration that would be frugal in spending and very meticulous in implementing its budget. But what we are getting is an administration that has fallen in love with profligacy, that doesn’t see anything wrong in living big in the midst of a poverty-stricken nation,” said Adeniran.

The House of Representatives Committee on National Security and Intelligence had in 2024 recommended the procurement of new aircraft for both the president and vice president, citing high maintenance costs and safety concerns with the ageing fleet. While the president received the Airbus A330, no similar replacement was announced for the vice president’s aircraft, which has received substantial maintenance allocations under Tinubu.

At the time of filing this report, the Presidency had not responded to inquiries about the specific nature of the engine work carried out on the aircraft.

The budget documents also indicate ongoing capital projects for PAF infrastructure, including N714.8m for the construction of a hangar for the Presidential Air Fleet in 2025, which fell to N500.36m in 2026.

The PAF’s total budget allocation declined from N17.32bn in 2025 to N14.70bn in 2026, mainly driven by decreased capital expenditure.

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At least 21,807 foreign refugees and asylum seekers fleeing violence in neighbouring countries remain unregistered in Nigeria, denying them access to food assistance, healthcare and other essential services, the United Nations has revealed.

The figures, contained in the November 2025 UNHCR dashboard obtained by The PUNCH, show that the unregistered asylum seekers, predominantly come from Cameroon’s conflict-torn Anglophone region.

The data revealed that Nigeria currently hosts a total of 127,000 refugees and asylum seekers from 41 countries, with 21,807 still awaiting registration by the National Commission for Refugees, Migrants and Internally Displaced Persons, alongside 80,915 recognised refugees and over 25,000 asylum seekers whose cases are being processed.

Analysis of successive UNHCR dashboards reveals that the backlog of unregistered refugees has fluctuated over the past year, climbing from 21,095 in December 2024 to a peak of 32,750 in June 2025, a 55 per cent surge in six months, before declining to 21,807 by November 2025.

The March 2025 dashboard recorded 20,997 persons awaiting registration, suggesting that the new arrivals continue to outpace the Federal Government’s capacity to process them.

Unregistered refugees remain ineligible for UNHCR-provided food stipends, cash assistance, health insurance schemes, and other humanitarian aid, leaving thousands in limbo as they struggle to meet basic needs in host communities.

One official familiar with the refugee registration process told our correspondent that staffing shortages, security restrictions, and logistical challenges have slowed enrolment in Borno, Adamawa, and Cross River States, which host the bulk of new arrivals.

“Registration can take weeks or even months, depending on the state and the availability of NCFRMI personnel,” explained one field officer who spoke on condition of anonymity.

The data shows that Cameroonians dominate Nigeria’s refugee population, accounting for 86 per cent or approximately 119,208 people fleeing the eight-year-old Anglophone crisis in Cameroon’s North-West and South-West regions.

Smaller populations originate from Niger (15,011), the Central African Republic (1,053), Syria (1,330), and the Democratic Republic of Congo (598), among others.

Women and girls account for just over half of all refugees, while children represent close to 60 per cent, according to UNHCR statistics.

Most refugees live in host communities across Cross River, Taraba, Akwa Ibom, Benue, and Adamawa States, rather than in camps.

Urban centres such as Lagos, Abuja, and Kano also shelter refugees from diverse nationalities, some of whom have been in Nigeria for over a decade.

Nigeria’s open-door policy and adherence to the 1951 Geneva Convention and the 1969 Organisation of African Unity Convention require the country to grant asylum to individuals fleeing persecution and conflict.

The NCFRMI, working with the Nigerian Immigration Service and UNHCR, is responsible for registering asylum seekers and conducting Refugee Status Determination procedures, which can take three to six months.

Successful applicants receive refugee identity cards that provide access to work permits, school enrolment, and, in principle, freedom of movement beyond designated settlements.

In 2019, Nigeria began issuing Convention Travel Documents—refugee passports—to enable international travel.

However, during mass influxes, individual asylum procedures are often suspended in favour of group recognition.

In 2024, the government granted 86,000 Cameroonian refugees Temporary Protection Status valid through June 2027, while 20,000 Nigeriens in Damasak received prima facie recognition.

Speaking with our correspondent, a former Nigerian Ambassador to Singapore, Ogbole Amedu-Ode, warned that while Nigeria must fulfil its international obligations, border control agencies must remain vigilant against infiltrators.

“Nigeria is a signatory to the appropriate international instruments, conventions and treaties that grant favour to asylum seekers, especially those under persecution.

“We’re aware of all the people from Cameroon, where there’s some kind of civil unrest. The same goes for Sudan, Syria and parts of Lebanon. Based on those international conventions, Nigeria is obliged to admit and grant them asylum.

“However, given the security situation we face in Nigeria, the relevant agencies should have their eyes peeled to watch out for people who might be used to infiltrate the Nigerian space for any negative objectives,” Amedu-Ode told The PUNCH.

The registration backlog comes as Nigeria grapples with a broader displacement crisis.

According to the UNHCR, the country hosts 3.5 million internally displaced persons, primarily in the North-East, due to Boko Haram and Islamic State West Africa Province insurgencies.

In 2024, severe floods affected over 480,000 people in 34 of Nigeria’s 36 states, including tens of thousands in Borno, Adamawa, and Yobe, further straining humanitarian resources.

Meanwhile, nearly 408,000 Nigerian refugees remain registered in neighbouring countries such as Cameroon, Niger, and Chad, having fled insurgent violence in the Lake Chad Basin.

In 2025, UNHCR facilitated the return of 26,473 Nigerian refugees through voluntary repatriation programmes, including a landmark Tripartite Agreement signed in February with Chad and Nigeria.

Nigeria’s refugee response is coordinated through a Refugee Response Plan involving government agencies, UN bodies, international NGOs, and civil society organisations.

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Rivers State Governor, Siminalayi Fubara, is yet to receive any formal notice of impeachment from the State House of Assembly three days after 27 lawmakers commenced impeachment proceedings against him and his deputy, Prof. Ngozi Odu.

Recall that the majority members of the Assembly, loyal to the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike, last Thursday initiated impeachment proceedings over alleged misconduct.

Although the Speaker of the Assembly, Martin Amaewhule, had said he would ensure that the impeachment letter was delivered to the governor, a source in Government House disclosed on Monday evening that no official communication had been received.

The source, who craved anonymity as he was not authorised to speak, said, “I can tell you for free that the governor and his deputy have not reviewed any notice from the Assembly.

“Don’t forget that the governor returned from his trip overseas on Sunday and managed to attend the church service for the Armed Forces Remembrance Day.

“He has not rested and he needs to inspect several ongoing projects scattered all over. So for now, I know he hasn’t received any letter. I have not seen the governor myself. The man is busy working for the good of the state as a practical man he is.”

Meanwhile, two of the pro-Wike lawmakers have backed out of the impeachment plot, urging their colleagues to suspend the move against Fubara and the Deputy Governor, Prof. Ngozi Odu.

The lawmakers made the appeal on Monday during a press conference in Port Harcourt, the state capital, calling for  an alternative resolution to the political crisis.

The Minority Leader of the House and representative of Omuma State Constituency, Sylvanus Nwankwo, called on the Assembly to exercise restraint and explore options outside the impeachment process.

“We have called this press conference to appeal to our colleagues to temper justice with mercy and to see how we can resolve this matter apart from impeachment proceedings,” he said.

Nwankwo said the intervention was prompted by appeals from elders and leaders within and outside the state, urging the lawmakers to show leniency.

“That is why we are here this morning to appeal to the conscience of our fellow colleagues. Having listened to so many pleas, calls from our elders and leaders, both within and outside the state, begging for leniency.

“We are begging, calling on our colleagues to reconsider our step and see how this matter can be resolved amicably, even though the governor and deputy governor have infringed on the constitution, but we are appealing to them to reconsider our stand,” he added.

Also speaking, the member representing Degema State Constituency, Peter Abbey, echoed the call for caution, stressing the need for a humane approach to the situation.

“Fubara has infringed on parts of the constitution, but we are human beings, and we, as members of the 10th assembly, want to plead with our colleagues to please reconsider,” Abbey said.

He added that the governor also has a responsibility to help de-escalate the tension by avoiding further constitutional violations.

“The governor, too, has a role to play; he must ensure he does not infringe further on the constitution. That will bring an amicable settlement to the whole thing,” he said.

The development comes a day after  the FCT Minister, Wike, concluded his ‘thank you tour’ of local government areas of the state on Sunday and subsequently left for Abuja aboard a private jet.

It was gathered that Wike did not visit Opobo/Nkoro Local Government Area, the home LGA of  Fubara. No official reason was given for the omission.

A chieftain of the All Progressives Congress from the area told our reporter that Wike deliberately avoided Opobo.

The politician, who declined to have his name in print due to the sensitive nature of the situation, said, “My brother, if you are the one with the current political tension in the state created by Wike himself, will you have gone to Opobo?

“That will be putting your hand in a crocodile-infested water. Although nobody asked him not to come, nobody threatened him, but I think he advised himself.

“Give it to him, he knows what is good for him.”

He added that even when the FCT Minister visited neighbouring Bonny Local Government Area, which is close to Opobo, turnout was low.

“In Bonny, when the Minister went there like we saw on TV, the place was empty. You know the history of Bonny and Opobo, so it was expected. But of course, he knows he wouldn’t have visited Opobo.”

Asked what would have happened if Wike had visited Opobo, he said calmly, “Nothing, but he will address himself. No true son or daughter of Opobo would have attended. So he knows.”

Recall that Wike concluded the thank-you visit in his own local government area, Obio/Akpor, with a rally held at the Captain Elechi Amadi Polytechnic, Rumuola, on Sunday. The event reportedly recorded the largest turnout, with traffic gridlock stretching through Aba Road and the Rumuola axis.

Amid the escalating political tension, the Pan Niger Delta Elders Forum has constituted a seven-man reconciliation committee to mediate in the Rivers State crisis.

The committee, chaired by a former Attorney-General of the Federation, Chief Kanu Agabi (SAN), has a former senator representing Edo North, Senator Obende Domingo, as vice chairman;  a former Minister of Housing, Chief Essien Nduese,; and a retired federal permanent secretary, Dr. Timiebi Koripamo-Agari,

Other members are a former Director of the Department of State Services, Chief Mike Ejiofor; a former Attorney-General of Cross River State, Mrs. Nella Rabana-Andem (SAN); and  PANDEF’s Deputy National Secretary, Prince Godwin Okotie.

The Board of Trustees and National Executive Committee of PANDEF said the committee was set up in line with the group’s long-standing tradition of peace-making across the Niger Delta.

The forum urged all parties in the crisis to cooperate fully with the committee “as they selflessly commit their time and experience to this arduous assignment, with the objective of achieving a peaceful, fair, and sustainable resolution through a dispassionate and inclusive process.”

In a statement jointly signed by the first military governor of Rivers State and Amanyanabo of Twon-Brass, King Alfred Diete-Spiff; former Akwa Ibom State Governor, Obong Victor Attah; and PANDEF National Chairman, Ambassador Godknows Igali, the forum described the situation in Rivers State as disturbing.

It appealed to all parties to sheathe their swords and embrace peace, “guided by the principles of give-and-take, dialogue, tolerance, and political equanimity.”

“All stakeholders must place paramount importance on peace, development, and the welfare of the people of Rivers State, as well as the interests of other citizens of the South-South, Nigerians at large, and the sizeable expatriate community resident in the State. We must now focus squarely on good governance and development of the state.”

PANDEF said it was regrettable that the crisis had degenerated into impeachment proceedings against the governor and deputy governor.

“This is a deeply disturbing situation that demands urgent attention in order to forestall further escalation and breakdown of law and order. This concern is heightened by the critical importance and strategic centrality of Rivers State to the Niger Delta region and to the broader socio-political stability and economic wellbeing of Nigeria as a whole.”

The forum, however, commended President Bola Tinubu, the leadership of the All Progressives Congress, elders of Rivers State, and other stakeholders for their ongoing efforts to restore peace and stability in the state.

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