An Arik Air Boeing 737-7GL en route from Lagos to Port Harcourt on Wednesday made a precautionary diversion to Benin Airport after the crew detected an engine anomaly mid-flight, the Nigerian Safety Investigation Bureau (NSIB) has said.
The aircraft, registered 5N-MJF, encountered abnormal engine indications during the cruise phase. The flight crew shut down the affected engine in line with standard operating procedures and diverted to Benin, the nearest suitable airport.
The aircraft landed safely without further incident. All passengers and crew disembarked normally, and no injuries were reported.
Initial visual inspections at Benin Airport indicated substantial damage to the affected engine.
The NSIB confirmed it has launched a formal investigation in accordance with its statutory mandate and international standards under ICAO Annex 13, as well as Nigerian civil aviation regulations.
A preliminary assessment team has been deployed to secure the aircraft, gather evidence, interview crew members and relevant personnel, and recover data from the flight data and cockpit voice recorders.
The Bureau said it is working in collaboration with the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA), Arik Air and other stakeholders to determine the cause of the incident and any contributing factors.
A preliminary report will be issued within 30 days, while a final report will be published at the conclusion of the investigation.
The NSIB urged members of the public with relevant information to contact the agency through its official channels, adding that further updates will be provided as the investigation progresses.