United Nigeria Airlines (UNA) has said the naming of its two newly acquired Boeing 737-800 Next Generation (NG) aircraft after renowned literary icon, Professor Chinua Achebe, and the Obi of Onitsha, Igwe Nnaemeka Achebe, is a tribute to Nigeria’s rich cultural heritage and enduring legacy.
The Executive Chairman of the airline, Professor Obiora Okonkwo, made the remarks during the official unveiling ceremony of the aircraft in Lagos on Thursday, describing the occasion as a celebration of the country’s identity and history.
According to Okonkwo, the decision to christen the aircraft after the two eminent personalities was deeply symbolic and reflected the airline’s commitment to preserving and promoting Nigeria’s heritage.
He explained that the late Chinua Achebe, author of the globally acclaimed Things Fall Apart, shared roots with him in Ogidi, Anambra State, and played a pivotal role in introducing Africa and its stories to the world through literature.
Describing the late novelist as one of Africa’s foremost cultural ambassadors, Okonkwo requested a moment of silence in his memory.
Speaking about the Obi of Onitsha, who attended the ceremony, the airline chairman described the monarch as an elder statesman and highly respected traditional ruler whose wisdom and leadership have guided generations.
“His Royal Majesty is an elder statesman, a respected leader, hardworking and humble in his ways, deeply traditional, and loved and admired by the public. What makes this occasion different is that, for the first time in Nigeria, we have aircraft bearing these particular names that carry real significance, and that came to Nigeria only after a great deal of sacrifice, hope, and effort to give our nation a better direction in aviation,” he stated.
Four Additional Aircraft Expected
Okonkwo disclosed that the two Boeing 737-800NG aircraft are only the first deliveries from an original order of six aircraft being pursued by the carrier.
He revealed that while the first two aircraft had arrived, four more jets are expected in the coming months as part of the airline’s fleet expansion strategy.
The development, he noted, would strengthen the airline’s operations and further position it for increased domestic and regional connectivity.
The airline boss recalled that Nigeria’s aviation industry had, until recently, faced severe difficulties in attracting international aircraft financing and leasing opportunities.
According to him, international lessors and financing institutions had become reluctant to engage with Nigerian operators, effectively shutting the country out of the global aircraft leasing market.
Okonkwo credited the recent turnaround to efforts by the Minister of Aviation and Aerospace Development, Festus Keyamo, saying the minister’s engagement with Boeing three years ago helped restore confidence among global aviation stakeholders and reopen financing channels for Nigerian airlines.
The UNA chairman warned that Nigerian carriers were currently grappling with rising operational costs and mounting financial pressures, partly triggered by the ongoing conflict in the Middle East.
He said airlines across the country had collectively suffered huge losses over the past three months.
“I won’t pretend the industry isn’t facing real challenges right now, largely as a result of the Middle East war. In the last three months alone, Nigerian airlines collectively have absorbed enormous losses, some carriers losing close to N10 billion. Do not be surprised when fares go up slightly going forward because we have real losses to recover from,” he said.
Reflecting on the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, Okonkwo recounted how the airline had sent 23 pilots to South Africa for training, only for them to become stranded when international airspace closures brought global travel to a standstill.
He revealed that the pilots remained in South Africa for nine months, with some falling ill, while the airline continued to shoulder the costs of accommodation, feeding and salaries.
“They couldn’t leave, some fell ill, they couldn’t even go home, and yet we kept paying their hotel bills, their food, their salaries, everything. We survived that period because we kept flying,” he said.
Airline Defends Flight Disruptions
Addressing concerns over delays and disruptions, Okonkwo appealed to passengers for understanding, explaining that the airline often reschedules flights instead of outright cancellations whenever technical issues arise.
He narrated an incident in Kano where more than 100 passengers were stranded after an aircraft developed a fault.
According to him, engineers had to dispatch an empty aircraft to the city to inspect and certify the affected aircraft before operations could resume. He maintained that such decisions were taken in the interest of passenger safety.
The airline chairman also highlighted the high cost of doing business in Nigeria, citing a recent report by the International Air Transport Association (IATA), which ranked the country among the most expensive environments globally for airline operations.
He urged the Federal Government to ensure that revenues generated for the Nigeria Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA) are retained within the aviation sector and utilised for industry development instead of being transferred into the Federation’s consolidated revenue pool for unrelated expenditures.
Okonkwo further advocated for the provision of single-digit interest loans to airlines and stronger partnerships between the Bank of Industry and commercial banks to guarantee fuel purchases.
According to him, such interventions would stimulate growth within the industry and encourage more indigenous carriers to acquire aircraft.
“That would lead to a much healthier aviation sector, with more Nigerian operators bringing in more aircraft, to everyone’s benefit,” he added.
The unveiling of the two Boeing 737-800NG aircraft marks another milestone in United Nigeria Airlines’ expansion drive and underscores the carrier’s ambition to strengthen its position within Nigeria’s aviation industry while celebrating personalities who have shaped the nation’s cultural and traditional heritage.
Farmer Beheads two Elders to avenge Parents’ deaths
A 49-year-old farmer, Akaniyene Ignatius, has confessed to killing and beheading two elderly men in Abanyama community, Creek Town, in Odukpani Local Government Area of Cross River State.
Ignatius claimed that he carried out the attacks to avenge the deaths of his parents and brother.
The suspect was arrested by the police in the state following the gruesome killings of two prominent elders, identified as 75-year-old Oko Okon and 73-year-old Okon Akpan.
It was gathered that the first victim, Okon, was found dead in his home on May 24, with no immediate clue as to the identity of his killer.
Before residents could recover from the shock, Akpan was also murdered in a similar manner the following day.
The incident, however, reportedly heightened tension in the riverine community and forced many residents to flee their homes and farm settlements.
A source at the State Criminal Investigation Department of the Cross River State Police Command, who spoke on condition of anonymity because he was not authorised to comment on the matter, said investigations later led detectives to the suspect.
The source said, “It started on May 24, 2026, when he went to the house of Oko Okon in Abanyama, Creek Town, where he met the man sleeping in his room. He strangled and killed the 75-year-old, who lived alone.
He not only killed him but also beheaded him and dumped the body behind the deceased’s house.
“He thereafter took the severed head to his late father’s farm settlement in the same Abanyama community and buried it in a shallow grave.”
The source added that the suspect struck again the following day.
“On May 25, he went to the house of another elder, Okon Akpan, a 73-year-old man in the same community. He entered through the backyard and met the deceased in front of his house around 5:20am.
“He held him from behind and strangled him to death. He thereafter moved the body to his late father’s farm settlement, where he dismembered it and buried the different parts in separate shallow graves,” the source added.
According to the source, the suspect’s alleged crimes were uncovered after members of the community identified him as the person last seen with a mattress belonging to one of the deceased.
Operatives of the homicide section subsequently arrested him while he was allegedly attempting to sell the mattress.
Following his arrest, the suspect reportedly led detectives to several shallow graves where body parts of the victims were exhumed and later deposited at the General Hospital, Creek Town.
In a confessional statement Akaniyene confessed to the killings during interrogation.
He stated that the motive for the crime was that the two elders were among those responsible for the deaths of his parents and brother many years ago.
“I am a farmer and I am 49 years old. I killed the two elders because they were among the people responsible for the deaths of my brother and my parents in 1999.
“We are from Akwa Ibom State, but my parents had lived in Cross River for many years. I was even born in Abanyama,” he said
The suspect alleged that the tragedy stemmed from a longstanding family dispute involving his father and two elder brothers, Kokoite and Ekperite.
According to him, his father repeatedly complained to community leaders about the conduct of the two brothers, who were eventually arrested, prosecuted and imprisoned.
He claimed that after their release from prison and despite efforts by the police to restore peace, members of the community allegedly attacked one of the brothers again.
“They shot him and inflicted machete cuts on him. My other brother escaped to Lagos because he feared he would be killed too,” he alleged.
Akaniyene further claimed that the death of his brother devastated his mother, who later died, while his father passed away about a year afterwards.
“After the death of Ekperite, my mother was traumatised. She became very sick and did not survive the agony of losing her son.
“My father died about one year after the death of his wife. He could not bear the pain of losing his son and wife within a short time.
“I was left alone in the village and I vowed to avenge the deaths of my parents and brother, which I eventually did. Though I regret doing it now, it was anger that pushed me to do it,” he said.
Reacting to the incident, the spokesperson for the Cross River State Police Command, Ewa Sunday, said reports linking the suspect to the killing of more than 30 persons remained unverified.
He said, “The unfortunate incident of the alleged serial killer case in Odukpani community quickly spread, with some sources alleging that over 30 bodies were involved in these gruesome acts.
“Our immediate concern is to ensure a thorough, professional and impartial investigation into the alleged incidents in Creek Town.
“While the suspect is currently in custody and has made certain statements during interrogation, these remain subject to verification. The matter is under active investigation.
“We urge the public to remain calm, avoid speculation and allow investigators to do their work. Further developments will be communicated.”
