The Nigerian government has delayed action on grounding 60 private jets over unpaid import duties due to ongoing court cases. The Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) spokesperson, Abdullahi Maiwada, disclosed this while addressing questions about the stalled verification exercise for private jet owners.
In June 2024, the NCS summoned nearly 80 private jet owners in Nigeria to present import documents or risk grounding. An extension of the verification deadline from October 14 to November 14, 2024, was announced, but no enforcement has occurred since the deadline lapsed.
Maiwada attributed the delay to legal proceedings initiated by the jet owners. “There are issues bordering on court processes, and any disclosure would interfere with these investigations and outcomes,” he stated.
This controversy began in November 2022 when reports emerged that many wealthy Nigerians, including business moguls and banks, had taken legal action against the federal government to prevent their jets from being grounded. The unpaid duties reportedly amount to billions of naira, raising concerns about compliance and accountability in the aviation sector.
Investigations into the matter are ongoing as the NCS awaits the resolution of court processes before taking further action.
