First Nation Airways (Lagos) Chairman and CEO Kayode Odukoya has been charged with theft of NGN1.74 billion nairas (USD4.8 million) from Skye Bank in 2016, as well as three other counts of forgery, use of the false documents, and perjury by the Nigerian Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), PM News has reported.
Odukoya first appeared in front of the Ikeja Special Offences Court on March 16 but the case has been since then adjourned until March 26 when the bail hearing is scheduled. The carrier's boss pleaded not guilty to all charges but was remanded by the court due to the fact that he failed to appear before the judges on three prior occasions.
The trial itself is expected to commence in early April.
First Nation Airways itself and Bellview Airlines (Lagos), the First Nation's predecessor which went bankrupt in 2010, are also charged as defendants in the case.
The airline currently operates flights between Abuja and Lagos using its sole active A319-100 5N-FNE (msn 660), Flightradar24 ADS-B data shows. According to the ch-aviation fleets module, the carrier also leases another aircraft of the type, 5N-FND (msn 647) from AerCap, although the Airbus twinjet has been stored at Lagos since August 2016.
