A potential aviation disaster was narrowly avoided today when an Arik Air Boeing 737-700 aircraft, en route from Lagos to Port Harcourt, experienced a serious engine problem mid-flight and made an emergency diversion to Benin Airport.

The aircraft, registration number 5N-MJF and operating as Flight W3 740, was descending toward Port Harcourt International Airport when the crew heard a loud bang from the left engine.

The incident occurred during the cruise or descent phase, prompting the pilots to declare an emergency and divert the plane as a precautionary measure.

According to statements from the Nigerian Safety Investigation Bureau (NSIB) and Arik Air, the flight crew detected abnormal indications on one of the engines.

The plane landed safely at Benin Airport without further incident, and all passengers and crew approximately 80 people onboard disembarked normally with no injuries reported.

The NSIB has launched an investigation into the engine anomaly, with preliminary observations indicating significant damage to the affected engine based on initial visual assessments at Benin Airport.

Arik Air confirmed the safe handling of the situation, emphasizing that the diversion was carried out following standard safety protocols. Arrangements were made for the affected passengers to continue their journey.

The incident underscores the critical importance of crew training and aircraft maintenance in Nigeria’s aviation sector, where quick decision-making by pilots has once again prevented a potential tragedy.

Authorities are expected to provide further updates as the probe continues.

The Nigerian Meteorological Agency (NiMet) on Tuesday made public presentation of the 2026 Seasonal Climate Predictions across the country.

The Minister of Aviation and Aerospace Development, Mr. Festus Keyamo, during the presentation in Abuja, analyses that a longer-than-normal rainy season in Lagos, Benue, Enugu, Ebonyi, Ogun, Oyo, Nasarawa, Anambra, Kwara, Kebbi, Kaduna, Gombe, and Taraba States this year.

Keyamo said that however, an early onset is expected in Bayelsa, Rivers, Akwa Ibom, Cross River, Benue, Kogi, Nasarawa, Oyo, and parts of Kebbi, Niger, Jigawa, Katsina, Kano, Adamawa, and Taraba States.

Said the NiMet:

“While a late onset is expected over Borno State. Rainfall cessation is anticipated to be earlier than normal in parts of Ogun, Osun, Ondo, Imo, Rivers, Akwa Ibom, Kogi, and Niger States.

“However, a delayed end of season is expected in Lagos, Ogun, Anambra, Enugu, Cross River, Benue, Nasarawa, and Kaduna States.

“Whereas parts of Borno, Yobe, and Niger States are expected to have a shorter-than-normal rainy season.

A normal annual rainfall amount is anticipated in most parts of Nigeria compared to the long-term average,” the agency said.

The Nigerian Senate has passed the Electoral Act 2022 (Repeal and Reenactment) Amendment Bill 2026, retaining provisions that allow for the transmission of election results in a manner prescribed by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), effectively permitting both electronic and manual methods without mandating real-time electronic upload.

In a key decision during the bill’s third reading earlier this month, senators rejected a proposed amendment to Clause 60(3) that would have required presiding officers to transmit polling unit results to INEC’s Result Viewing (IReV) portal in real time via electronic means after results are announced and forms are signed. Instead, the chamber adopted the existing language from the 2022 Electoral Act, which states that the presiding officer shall “transfer the results… in a manner as prescribed by the Commission.”

Senate leadership, including President Godswill Akpabio, has clarified that the decision does not outright reject electronic transmission, as the law already accommodates it at INEC’s discretion. They described reports of a complete ban on electronic methods as misleading, emphasizing that the amendment retains flexibility for the electoral body to use technology where feasible, while allowing manual processes as a fallback.

The move has sparked widespread controversy and public backlash, with critics—including opposition figures like former Vice President Atiku Abubakar, Labour Party’s Peter Obi, civil society organizations, the Nigerian Bar Association, and the Nigerian Society of Engineers—arguing that removing the mandatory real-time electronic requirement weakens transparency, opens the door to manipulation during collation, and represents a setback for electoral integrity ahead of the 2027 general elections.

Protests erupted at the National Assembly complex, with demonstrators demanding the restoration of compulsory real-time e-transmission to curb fraud and build public trust. An emergency plenary session was convened amid mounting pressure, though the core provision on result transmission remained unchanged in the passed version.

The bill, which also includes other changes such as adjustments to election timelines, voter accreditation technology, and penalties for electoral offenses, now awaits harmonization with the House of Representatives’ version—where some reports indicate support for stronger electronic provisions—before heading to the president for assent. The outcome has intensified national debate over the future of credible elections in Nigeria.