Why We Bought N255m Armoured BMW Cars' – Aviation Minister Reveals

The minister of aviation, Stella Oduah, has explained that threats to her life over reforms in the aviation sector and the general insecurity in the country prompted the purchase of the two armoured BMW cars worth N127. 575 million each.


The online news portal, saharareporters, had claimed that it obtained documents which showed the paper trail of the transaction involving Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA), First Bank and Coscharis Motors. The cars were purchased by NCAA from Coscharis Motors, paying through accounts with First Bank.

But speaking yesterday, the special assistant on media to the aviation minister, Mr. Joe Obi, said that when the minister came on board with her reforms, which included reversing some concessions and agreements that were not in the interest of the people and government of Nigeria, “a lot of entrenched interests felt that they had been dislocated from the sector. The minister began to receive series of threats to her life, but because of the general lack of security in the land, she did not want to raise an alarm but kept it quiet and then decided to protect herself. So those vehicles were purchased in response to the general state of security in the land and the personal threats to her life because of the giant steps she has taken to reposition the sector.”

He said that the minister had been trailed several times and that there were clear and present dangers to her life which were averted or neutralised.

On why N127.575 million for each of the car, Obi said they were special purpose vehicles, even as he explained that the utility vehicles were bought in the name of the Minister of Aviation and not in the name of Stella Oduah.

“Normally, you don’t buy one utility vehicle but you buy two at a time because you must have a back-up for public officials. The level of exposure which came with her job warranted the purchase of the vehicles. As a private citizen, she never had these vehicles,” he added.

However, the general manager, Public Affairs of NCAA, Mr Fan Ndubuoke, said he was unaware that such vehicles were purchased for the minister. “I cannot comment on something I know nothing about,” he insisted.

When contacted, the coordinating general manager, Aviation Agencies, Mr. Yakubu Dati, corroborated Obi’s response - that threats to the minister safety prompted the purchases- and said that he had nothing more to add.

Efforts to contact Coscharis Motors were unsuccessful as its officials failed to pick their calls and refused to answer a text message sent over the issue