The private aircraft that made a highly unusual landing on a concrete road in Ogwashi-Uku near Asaba, Delta State, on Wednesday, June 10, 2026, is registered in the United States under the name of Dunamis International Gospel Centre, the Abuja-based megachurch led by Senior Pastor Paul Enenche, triggering a major regulatory crackdown that has seen the aircraft grounded, the operator’s permit suspended, the pilot arrested for exceeding Nigeria’s aviation age limit, and the federal government ordering a full investigation into multiple alleged breaches of aviation law including the suspected illegal use of the aircraft for commercial charter operations.
The Nigeria Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA), in coordination with the Nigerian Safety Investigation Bureau (NSIB) and the Nigerian Airspace Management Agency (NAMA), has launched a joint investigation into the incident, which Aviation Minister Festus Keyamo publicly condemned as “a serious breach of regulation and security.”
According to the NCAA’s Director of Public Affairs and Consumer Protection, Michael Achimugu, preliminary reports indicated that the aircraft, a Bombardier Challenger 601 business jet, conducted a missed approach while attempting to land at Asaba International Airport at approximately 7:43 AM local time on Wednesday.
A missed approach occurs when a pilot aborts a landing attempt, typically due to poor visibility, runway obstruction, equipment malfunction, or other safety concerns that make it unsafe to complete the touchdown. The specific reason the pilot aborted the Asaba landing has not been officially disclosed and is expected to be determined by the ongoing investigation.
Following the failed approach, the pilot landed the aircraft on an uncompleted concrete expressway under construction in the Ogwashi-Uku area near Asaba. The landing on a public road, while extraordinary, was executed without casualties. All passengers and four crew members evacuated safely and were transported to Asaba by road. No injuries were reported.
What happened next transformed the incident from an emergency landing into a regulatory scandal.
Hours after the passengers were evacuated and transported to their destination by road, the four crew members who remained with the aircraft taxied the private jet back onto the concrete road and took off, flying directly to Lagos without obtaining the required regulatory approval from the NCAA or clearance from Air Traffic Control (ATC).
According to official accounts, ATC was informed of the flight only after the aircraft was already airborne, meaning the crew departed a makeshift landing site on a public road and entered controlled Nigerian airspace without authorisation, a severe violation of aviation regulations that carries significant criminal penalties.
The NCAA immediately grounded the aircraft upon its arrival in Lagos pending the outcome of investigations.
Investigative reporting by TheCable established that the NCAA has confirmed the aircraft is registered in the United States in the name of Dunamis International Gospel Centre, the church founded and led by Dr Paul Enenche, which operates from its headquarters, the Glory Dome, in Abuja.
The aircraft was brought into Nigeria to operate on a Permit for Non-Commercial Flight (PNCF), a regulatory category that permits private aircraft to fly within Nigerian airspace for non-commercial purposes. Under the terms of a PNCF, the aircraft is not permitted to be used as a private charter, meaning it cannot carry paying passengers or operate on a for-hire basis.
Regulatory authorities are now investigating whether this condition was violated and whether the aircraft was being used for illegal commercial charter operations, a breach that would constitute a serious offence under Nigerian aviation law.
TheCable further reported that until 2025, the aircraft operated under the name Mounthill Ltd but that the operatorship was subsequently switched to UMO Ltd in order to obtain the PNCF permit. The circumstances surrounding this switch of operatorship and whether it was designed to circumvent regulatory requirements are expected to be examined as part of the investigation.
The pilot-in-command, identified as Chris Baca, a Pakistani national, has been arrested and taken into custody by federal security agencies. He is facing investigation on multiple grounds.
First, he allegedly exceeded Nigeria’s maximum aviation age limit for pilots. Baca is reported to be 70 years old, five years above the maximum age of 65 permitted for pilots operating in Nigerian airspace under the country’s aviation regulations. The age limit exists as a safety measure, reflecting the increased risk of medical incapacitation associated with advanced age in the high-stress, high-precision environment of commercial and permitted aviation.
Second, Baca faces investigation for the unauthorised takeoff from the Ogwashi-Uku road, including departing without ATC clearance and entering controlled airspace without permission.
TheCable reported that criminal prosecution is being contemplated over the infractions.
The federal government has taken several immediate regulatory actions in response to the incident.
The aircraft has been grounded in Lagos and is not permitted to fly pending the completion of investigations by the NCAA, NSIB, and NAMA.
The operator’s PNCF permit has been suspended, meaning the entity that holds the permit cannot operate any aircraft under its authority until the suspension is lifted.
The pilot has been detained and is facing investigation for the unauthorised flight and the alleged age limit violation.
Maintenance records are being reviewed to determine the aircraft’s airworthiness and compliance history.
Aviation watchdogs are conducting a full review of the passenger manifest to determine whether the aircraft was being operated as an illegal private charter.
Aviation Minister Festus Keyamo publicly condemned the incident, describing the entire sequence of events as a serious breach of both regulation and security.
The minister’s characterisation reflects the gravity with which the federal government views the multiple violations. The incident is not merely an emergency landing, which can occur for legitimate safety reasons, but a cascade of regulatory breaches that includes operating with an allegedly overage pilot, landing on a public road, taking off without clearance, entering controlled airspace without authorisation, and potentially operating a non-commercial permit aircraft for commercial purposes.
As at the time of this report, Dunamis International Gospel Centre has not issued a public statement on the incident, the ownership of the aircraft, the identity of the passengers, or the regulatory actions taken by the federal government.
The names of the passengers on the aircraft have not been officially released by either the federal government or the church. The NCAA confirmed that all passengers were safely evacuated and transported to Asaba by road, but the manifest has not been made public.
The incident engages multiple provisions of Nigerian aviation law.
The Civil Aviation Act 2022 and the Nigerian Civil Aviation Regulations govern the operation of aircraft within Nigerian airspace, including the requirements for flight permits, pilot licensing, age limitations, and the distinction between commercial and non-commercial operations.
Operating an aircraft without proper ATC clearance is a serious offence that can result in criminal prosecution, fines, and the permanent revocation of operating permits. The use of a non-commercial permit aircraft for commercial charter purposes, if proven, would constitute a separate violation carrying its own penalties.
The employment of a pilot who exceeds the maximum age limit represents both a regulatory violation by the operator and a potential safety risk that the NCAA takes extremely seriously, given that the age limit exists specifically to protect passengers and the public from the risk of pilot incapacitation.
The unauthorised takeoff from a public road, without clearance, without a proper runway inspection, without crash and rescue services on standby, and without the safety checks that normally precede any departure, represents perhaps the most reckless aspect of the entire incident. If any vehicle, pedestrian, or obstacle had been on the road during the takeoff roll, the consequences could have been catastrophic.
The revelation that the aircraft is owned by Dunamis International Gospel Centre raises several questions that the church will face pressure to answer.
Who authorised the flight and for what purpose? Who were the passengers being transported? Was the church aware that the pilot allegedly exceeded the age limit for Nigerian aviation? Was the church aware that the PNCF permit does not authorise commercial charter operations? Who made the decision to take off from the road without clearance rather than wait for regulatory approval? And what is the church’s relationship with the entities, Mounthill Ltd and UMO Ltd, under whose names the aircraft has been operated?
The investigation by the NCAA, NSIB, and NAMA is ongoing. The aircraft remains grounded in Lagos. The pilot remains in custody. The passengers’ identities remain undisclosed. And the church whose name appears on the aircraft’s US registration remains silent.
The post “Dunamis Ownership Revealed” — Private Jet Takes Off Without Clearance After Delta Road Landing As FG Arrests 70-Year-Old Pakistani Pilot appeared first on TheNigeriaLawyer.
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