SaharaRepoters has reported that a crisis was narrowly avoided when Chief Adedeji Adeleke’s private jet, owned by the Nigerian billionaire, caught fire during takeoff at Lagos’s Murtala Muhammed International Airport (MMIA). Chief Adeleke is the father of Afrobeat artist Davido and the brother of Osun State governor, Senator Ademola Adeleke. The Bombardier Global Express 6000 jet, primarily used by the Adeleke family, experienced the incident on September 5, 2023, during takeoff from Lagos to Abuja at the airport’s domestic wing, around 9 a.m.
Regrettably, the incident was not officially reported to the relevant aviation regulatory authorities, contrary to standard procedures. Governor Adeleke and his top aides were reportedly aboard the aircraft when a loud explosion emanated from one of the jet’s engines, leading to an immediate takeoff abort at the end of the runway. Fortunately, there were no reported casualties or injuries among the passengers on board at the time.
The jet had been parked at the Executive Jet hangar at the airport before its deployment on September 5. Remarkably, despite the severity of the incident, there were no injuries or fatalities. However, airport authorities, the Osun State government, and the hangar’s owners have made efforts to keep the news under wraps.
Though Governor Adeleke’s aides were unavailable for comment, an anonymous passenger suggested suspicions of foul play due to damage to both engines of the aircraft. The CEO of Executive Jets, Sam Iwuajoku, explained that Foreign Object Damage (FOD) resulted in the aircraft’s high temperature and subsequent explosion. He attributed the FOD to a bird nest in one of the jet’s engines, stating that such incidents are not uncommon in Africa when aircraft are parked without adequate covering, allowing birds to build nests.
It was also revealed that Davido had used the aircraft the day before the incident. Efforts to contact the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA) were unsuccessful, with sources indicating that the agency’s Air Worthiness Department remained unaware of the occurrence.
