The speaker of the Borno State House of Assembly, Rt. Hon. Abdulkarim Lawan, has called on the federal government to buy Vice President Kashim Shettima a new aircraft, citing safety concerns because his present designated jet has several mechanical problems.

Despite previous cancelled flights, Lawan expressed concern over Shettima’s safety as he continues to represent President Bola Ahmed Tinubu at foreign events.

Shettima’s travel to Samoa for the Commonwealth Heads of Government Summit was recently unexpectedly cancelled on September 24, 2024, after his jet was hit by a foreign object during a layover at JFK Airport, damaging the cockpit windscreen. The House of Representatives Committee on National Security and Intelligence said earlier this year that the president and vice president should each buy new planes. Shettima was forced to rely on the outdated, prone to malfunctioning aircraft as only the President’s aircraft was upgraded.

Speaker Lawan expressed joy that Shettima and his colleagues were unharmed in the recent event in a statement released from Maiduguri. He emphasised the possible security issues even at one of the safest airports in the world and demanded a “thorough and timely investigation” from the U.S. government into the accident at JFK Airport.

“The prolonged use of an unstable aircraft continues to put the vice president’s and his team’s lives at danger. In order to stop further accidents, I implore the Federal Government to give purchasing a new aircraft for Vice President Shettima first priority,” Lawan said. He thanked Allah once again for protecting Shettima and his team throughout the crisis and offered condolences to the Nigerian authorities.