Being arrested for defying the Rivers State Government’s order to close all borders, including airspace, two Caverton pilots have been detained in prison for bringing expatriates into the state.
The two pilots, Samuel Urgoji and Samuel Buhari, have been charged in a Chief Magistrate Court with disobeying the Executive Order issued by Governor Nyesom Wike to curb the spread of COVID-19 in the state.
Chief Magistrate D. D. Ihua-Maduenyi ordered a medical test to ascertain their health status and remanded them in prison until May 19, 2020, when their trial will begin.
However, Caverton protested the court’s decision to detain their pilots. The airline claimed that it had received approval from the Minister of Aviation to operate essential services during the lockdown.
The company’s statement reads:
“At the start of the COVID -19 lockdown, we received a letter from our client stating that they have been given approval/ exemption to fly and continue operations. We (Caverton along with three other companies) also received approval from the Minister of Aviation to fly only essential services, mainly in the oil and gas industry. Lastly, we got another approval from the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA) to fly for this same oil and gas sector. We have been flying along these guidelines for the past seven days.
“Today, we were informed that the Governor of Rivers State, Mr. Nyesom Wike was coming to address the operators in Port Harcourt and our people waited. But on arriving, the governor directed two of our pilots to be taken to CID where they were told to write statements.
“Despite all pleas by our lawyers who showed all the relevant documents, they were taken to the magistrate court and charged. At the court, our lawyers also presented all the documentations approving us to fly by the federal government but the case was closed and the pilots have been remanded in Port Harcourt prison till May 19.”
The company urged the federal government to intervene and request the release of their pilots, stating that they had not violated any laws and were being unfairly punished for reasons they do not understand.