As many as 91 private jets/aircraft operating in Nigeria could be seized by the Customs Service for improper documentation and failure to pay appropriate duties, the service has said
This was disclosed in Abuja on Tuesday by the Customs Public Relations Officer, Joseph Attah, in an address to journalists. He said the Service was carrying out a verification of privately owned aircraft in the country because of the insecurity challenges facing the country.
According to him, the verification exercise was carried out from June to August at the Tariff and Trade Department of the Service. He explained that verification focused on the following items: aircraft certificate registration, NCAA’s Flight Operations Compliance Certificate, NCAA’s Maintenance Compliance Certificate, NCAA’s Permit for Non-Commercial Flights, and Temporary Import Permit (TIP).
Atta said the 91 jets/aircraft were those that failed to present the requisite registration and authorization documents, and that their owners faced the possibility of being sanctioned by the Customs Service.
They comprised 29 private jets/aircraft that were found liable for payment of Customs duty and other fees, and 62 private jets/aircraft that were not verified because their owners or designated representatives made no presentations to Customs that could help determine their status.
Attah clarified that the exercise was authorized by the management of the service, in accordance with the statutory functions of the Customs and Excise Management Act (CEMA).
“Therefore, it is important to know who owns what and the kind of jets or aircraft that operate in our airspace.
“The service, therefore, looks forward to full compliance by all private jets/aircraft owners in the country,” the spokesman added.
The Federal Aviation Authority of Nigeria had been ordered to ensure that only privately owned aircraft duly verified and cleared by customs were authorised to operate within the country’s airspace, Attah said.
“Nigeria is governed by law. So, they are expected to show patriotism. Our patience is elastic but it has reached the limit for them to comply,” he said.
