The Nigerian Government, through the Nigerian Customs Service (NCS), is set to ground more than 60 private jets owned by prominent Nigerians due to unpaid import duties amounting to several billions of naira.
The enforcement exercise is scheduled to begin today, October 14, 2024.
According to documents exchanged between the NCS and the Nigerian Airspace Management Agency (NAMA), which were obtained by The PUNCH on Sunday, the NCS aims to recover the outstanding import duties from private jet owners.
Reports suggest that many of the private jets currently in the country have not had their duties paid.
Earlier this year, the NCS conducted a one-month verification exercise on all private jet owners between June and July, to identify those who had not complied with import duty payments.
Now, nearly three months later, the NCS is moving forward with its decision to ground the defaulting aircraft.
The documents revealed that private jets belonging to several top business leaders, including bank executives and chairmen, would be affected by this action.
The majority of the planes in question are foreign-registered but owned by Nigerians. Private jet owners affected by this decision have already been formally notified.
Some of the luxury aircraft on the list are: Bombardier Challenger 604 CL-600-2B16, Bombardier Challenger 3500, Bombardier BD-700 Global 6000, Bombardier BD-700 Global 6500, Bombardier BD-700 Global 7500. Each of the Bombardier BD-700 Global 7500 are estimated to cost over$70m, while the Global 6500 and 6000 version cost over $50m.
While 11 private jet owners have received notification of the grounding of their aircraft, The PUNCH gathered that no fewer than 55 other operators would get their letters on Monday (today).
This came as it was gathered that some top private jet operators had lobbied the Presidency ahead of the Monday grounding exercise but our correspondent learnt that the Presidency refused to interfere in the process.
The development, it was learnt, had made some operators to begin the process of settling the import duty. Officials said some private jet owners had promise to settle the duty this week.
Already, operators of a United States-registered Gulfstream G650ER jet belonging to a leading Nigerian bank have reportedly paid N5.3bn import duty to avoid the clampdown exercise.
The Customs had recovered some duties into the government coffers when a similar exercise was carried out in 2019.
But in the letters sighted on Sunday, planes belonging to prominent individuals and corporate entities were restricted from flying until the outstanding duties were settled.
This enforcement action is expected to generate significant revenue for the government.
However, three of these aircraft slated for grounding effective today, had been reportedly flown out of the country. However, the jets will be grounded as soon as they return to the country.
According to officials, who spoke on condition of anonymity because they lacked the authority to speak on the matter, the Nigerian Customs Act of 2023 empowers the customs service to penalise the owner or importer of any goods illegally imported into the country.
The official added that the NCS had issued demand notes to all affected owners and importers, instructing them to pay outstanding duties on their private aircraft.
While some aircraft owners have entered negotiations with the NCS to settle the outstanding payments, others have submitted written undertakings to clear the dues upon their return to Nigeria.
It is estimated that the NCS could generate over N260bn from this enforcement exercise.
Findings showed the NCS had written to both the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority and the Nigerian Airspace Management Agency requesting that the identified aircraft be denied flight clearances until the duties were paid, or until the NCS issues further instructions.
Additional findings by The PUNCH revealed that four of the impounded aircraft are currently in negotiations with Customs, and their owners have agreed to pay the required duties.
In letters sighted by our correspondent, the Nigerian Airspace Management Agency acknowledged a letter from the NCS regarding the recovery of import duties on illegally imported private aircraft.
The agency issued a Notice to Airmen and directed Air Traffic Control units to ground any non-compliant aircraft starting from October 14, 2024, until cleared by the Nigeria Customs Service.