Court Cases Stall Action on 60 Private Jets Operating Without Import Duty Payments

The Nigerian government has clarified that it has yet to take action against 60 private jets operating in the country without paying import duties worth billions of naira due to ongoing legal battles.

Abdullahi Maiwada, spokesperson for the Nigeria Customs Service (NCS), made this known on Tuesday while addressing inquiries regarding the verification exercise for private jet owners.

In October, the NCS extended the deadline for private jet owners to complete the verification exercise, shifting it to November 14, 2024. Despite the expiration of this deadline, the NCS has refrained from grounding the jets, citing legal constraints as the primary reason.

Maiwada explained, “There are issues that border on some court processes, and any disclosure will very much interfere with the processes. That is why we cannot update the public about it. We don’t want to interfere with the investigations and the outcomes of these processes.”

The situation traces back to June 2024, when the NCS summoned nearly 80 privately owned aircraft in Nigeria, requiring owners to present import documentation or risk their planes being grounded.

This legal standoff has roots in earlier disputes. In November 2022, reports surfaced that owners of foreign-registered private jets—including prominent business figures, leading commercial banks, and wealthy Nigerians—had taken the federal government to court. They sought to prevent their aircraft from being grounded over alleged non-payment of import duties.

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