The Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) says owners of grounded private jets have started the process of regularising their import duty payments.
NCS spokesperson, Maiwada Abdullahi, confirmed this to Vanguard on Wednesday, explaining that the move followed the expiration of an earlier ultimatum issued to the aircraft operators.
Reports on Tuesday indicated that over 60 private jets were grounded across various airports in the country, including the Murtala Muhammed International Airport in Lagos and the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport in Abuja. The action reportedly began on Monday and continued into Tuesday.
The grounding came months after the NCS warned that it would clamp down on private jets operating without verified import duty payments. Although the Service initially extended its verification deadline from October 14 to November 14, 2024, enforcement was delayed until this week.
Abdullahi insisted the enforcement was carried out after due process: “It was not done arbitrarily without proper consultation. We gave them an ultimatum. Those whose private jets have been grounded know what to do. They have started coming to regularise their duty payments,” he said.
The action affects jets owned by high-profile individuals and corporate entities, as the NCS intensifies efforts to enforce compliance with import duty laws.
