The Federal Government has stated that relevant agencies will start an investigation after an allegation that a Nigerian airline, Azman Air, helped the Iranian Aviation Industries to evade sanctions by the US.

The Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA) stated that the Nigerian Customs Service (NCS) handles smuggling issues.

NCAA spokesman Mike Achimugu revealed that smuggling is under the radar of Customs and not the authority, adding that once the allegations are confirmed, the NCAA can speak about them.

He said the allegations against Azman Air are heavy, and the issue has been sent to relevant agencies for further investigation.

According to a Vanguard report, the Middle East Forum Observer disclosed that Iran’s biggest airline, Mahan Air, used Azman Air to deliver an Airbus A340-642 widebody passenger aircraft to the Iranian airline on November 15, 2024.

The report said that while the aircraft flew from Kano to Kabul, its crew allegedly turned off the Automatic Dependent Surveilance-Broadcast (ADS-B) transponder at 39,000 feet altitude after entering the Iranian airspace before landing at Tehran’s Mehrabd International Airport.

The development comes as the Federal Competition and Consumer Protection Commission (FCCPC) insisted on probing Nigeria’s largest carrier, Air Peace, over alleged fare hikes.

The FCCPC listed Air Peace alongside a telecommunications company and a commercial bank for the probe.

In response to the FCCPC allegations, Air Peace said it spent about N14 million on a one-hour fight, saying that FCCPC’s allegations were untrue.