Former Borno Governor, Sheriff Acquires 11.4bn Aircraft

A former governor Borno State, Senator Ali Modu
Sheriff, has added another airplane to his fleet with
his latest acquisition being a new Gulfstream jet
G650 model that cost him an estimated $72
million (N11.5 billion).
Registered in Dubai with special specifications, the
aircraft is the fourth in his fleet, as he already has
three old Dornier aircraft which he acquired from
Aero Contractors at an estimated $3 million (N480
million).
The Dornier aircraft were said to be used for
charter services as the former governor recently
obtained an Air Operator Certificate (AOC) from the
Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA) for his
airline, Skybird. But a source told Thisday that his
new acquisition, the Gulfstream was acquired for
Sheriff's personal use, as the aircraft was top of the
range, and no would want to deploy such for
commercial service.
The actions of the former governor, who has been
alleged to fund the terrorist Boko Haram sect in
North-eastern Nigeria, on the new aircraft, has
been described by a Nigerian pilot as unpatriotic.
According to him, by registering the aircraft
overseas, Sheriff had denied Nigeria taxes and
import duty on the aircraft. No Nigerian pilot or
engineer would also be employed to operate or
work on the aircraft because with the foreign
registration, only pilots and engineers licensed in
the United Arab Emirates would be authorised to
operate and service the aircraft.
"By registering the aircraft overseas, he has
avoided tax and import duty, which he should pay
to a country where he is a citizen and from which
he made the money which he now spends on a
foreign crew," he said.
According to US-based Forbes magazine, the
Gulfstream G650 has an order book of 200
customers throughout the world.
Gulfstream described the aircraft as ultra-high-
speed, ultra-long-range business jet and the gold
standard in business aviation.
The model was introduced in 2008 with a capacity
for eight passengers and a crew of four on nonstop
legs of 7,000 nautical miles (12,964 km) for
standard configuration.
"That means it will link Dubai with New York and
London with Buenos Aires. With its powerful Rolls-
Royce BR725 engines, the G650 will cover shorter
distances at a speed of Mach 0.925. No traditional
business jet will take you closer to the speed of
sound," Gulfstream said on its website.