Customs ground bank’s jet over unpaid import duty

The Nigeria Customs Service has grounded a United States-registered Gulfstream G650ER jet belonging to a leading Nigerian bank over unpaid import duty.

This, according to a PUNCH report signalled the commencement of government’s clampdown on owners of private jets over unpaid import duty running into billions of naira.

The development came barely two weeks after the NCS began a one-month verification of private jet owners in the country.

The exercise, which began on June 19, 2024, is expected to end on July 19, 2024.

In a public notice by the Customs, the exercise aims to identify private jet operators that have illegally imported aircraft into the country without paying the necessary import duties.

The customs had recovered about N2bn into the government coffers when a similar exercise was carried out in 2019.

At least 80 private jet owners are expected to present their import documents and aircraft certificate of registration to the Customs in Abuja during the one-month exercise.

Although the grounding of private jets which fail to pay the necessary import duty is expected to begin after the one-month Customs verification exercise, findings showed that moves by some operators to export their aircraft might have forced the NCS to begin the clampdowns on some private jet operators.

The Nigeria Customs Service had last week said some operators of foreign registered private jets were temporarily flying their aircraft out of the country apparently in a bid to evade the exercise.

However, findings by The PUNCH on Sunday disclosed that a luxury Gulfstream G650ER plane belonging to a tier-1 bank had been grounded at Lagos airport over unpaid import duties reportedly estimated at N1.9bn.

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It was learnt that the NCS had written the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority and the Nigerian Airspace Management Agency asking them to cancel the flight clearance approval given to the private aircraft.

Our correspondent gathered that the agencies had received the letters to distrain the US-registered Gulfstream G650ER with registration number N331AB and manufacturer’s serial number 6487.

The bank is reportedly owing about N1.9bn in unpaid import duties to the government on two formerly owned private jets (Gulfstream G450 and Gulfstream G550 aircraft), which according to sources have since been taken out of the country.

It was also understood that the assessment of N1.9bn was based on a verification exercise carried out by the NCS in 2021.

It was learnt that going by the current exchange rate, the N1.9bn might be raised to about N6bn. Aircraft import duties are computed based on prevailing exchange rate.

NCAA and NAMA officials said they had received the cancellation of the previously granted flight clearance approval for the Gulfstream G650ER aircraft.

According to the letter, the luxury aircraft which cost over $65m, was found to have contravened the Federal Government’s import duty regulations and as such denied the necessary Export Permit by the Customs Service Area Command at the Murtala Muhammed Airport, Lagos.

A copy of the letter written to the NCAA and NAMA, which was sighted by one of our correspondents, was titled “Re: cancellation of flight clearance approval for Gulfstream G650ER with registration N331AB and manufacturer’s serial number 6487.”

The letter read in part, “The above subject matter refers.  The Nigeria Customs in its drive for enhanced revenue collection decided to do a verification exercise on private airlines operating in Nigeria.

“The verification aims to identify privately owned aircraft that were inappropriately imported into the country. This will enable the Service to perfect these Imports and collect revenue accruable to the Federal Government.

“The above-cited aircraft has been found to have contravened the Federal Government’s import duty regulations and as such denied Export Permit by the Customs Service (MMIA Command).

“In furtherance to the above, we are soliciting your kind co-operation and assistance to deny flight clearance approval”

The Comptroller General, NCS, Adewale Adeniyi, had two weeks ago said a good number of private jets were leaving the country as the verification began.

Adeniyi, who disclosed this while speaking in an interview with Arise Television, stated that since the exercise started,  only a few owners have shown up.

“Very few of them (private jet operators) have showed up for verification and we gather intelligence that a good number of them are leaving Nigeria since the announcement was given because they would not want to be verified,” he said.

The CGC explained that the service introduced the private jet verification exercise because more private jets were operating outside the ambits of the law.

“We have seen so many of these aircraft flying and our record tends to show that only a few of them have shown up to pay duty and this is why we are bringing this verification up,” he said.

The CGC disclosed that data obtained from the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority revealed that though many private jets were operating in the country, only a few had paid customs duties.

Adeniyi explained that when the exercise started sometime in 2019, the service realised N2bn.

Tinubu okays Ibadan airport upgrade, work begins in three weeks 

Construction of a new terminal, runway expansion and other structural features of Ibadan airport will begin in three weeks time, Oyo State Governor, Seyi Makinde, said on Wednesday.

This is coming after President Bola Tinubu’s approval of the proposed upgrade of the airport,

The governor said his administration’s efforts to have the Ibadan Airport, Alakia, upgraded to an international airport had yielded positive results.

Governor Makinde made this known when he received the Chief of Air Staff, Air Marshal Hassan Baba Abubakar, at the Executive Chamber, Governor’s Office, Secretariat, Agodi, Ibadan.

The project, according to the governor, would include the construction of a new terminal, runway and other structural features, adding that it would be handled by experts and delivered to standard.

According to the governor, his administration had spent the last five years turning around the state’s economy and had identified the need for the upgrade of the Ibadan Airport as being central to its economic expansion agenda.

He added that his government’s resolve to build infrastructure that targets the economic expansion agenda has also seen it investing resources on the 110 kilometres of Ibadan Circular Road, stating that the administration would consider the Air Force’s request for land for its post-retirement housing scheme on the Circular Road corridor.

“We have been talking to the Presidency and we got a response from them early this week that the President has graciously approved my request for Ibadan Airport to be upgraded,” he said.

“I will be in Abuja soon to get the documents relating to the approval. And within three weeks, we will start the project. We will expand the runway and build a new terminal.

“Since I came into office, this administration has focused on education, agriculture, health and expansion of our economy.”

The governor, who appreciated the Chief of Staff for his officers’ effort in working with sister security agencies to secure Oyo State, urged that the cordial relationship between the Force and the people of the state be maintained.

According to the governor, the Air Force has been a major contributor to the maintenance of internal security in Oyo State, as its personnel have been working closely with Operation Burst.

He said the administration was committed to working with the Air Force to deliver the Air Force Base in Ajia, Ibadan, with a promise of speedy completion of the road leading to the base.

He also explained that the government was fixing several roads along the Air Force Base axis that would facilitate easy movement of personnel and equipment.

Earlier in his speech, the Chief of Air Staff, Air Marshal Abubakar, described the governor as a visionary leader, thanking him for his support to the Air Force.

He acknowledged the governor’s focus on economic development and enhancing security in the state, noting that the acquisition of 60 hectares of land for the Air Force Base at Ajia and the provision of security operational vehicles were commendable efforts of the governor.

FAAN begins sale of e-tags at airports 

The Federal Airport Authority of Nigeria (FAAN) on Friday commenced the sale of electronic tags (e-tags) at airports.
The initiative, it said in a statement, was in line with the presidential directive that mandating the use of e-tags for accessing the nation’s federal airports.
“Following the presidential directive that all citizens are mandated to pay for e-tags at all the 24 federal airports across the country, we wish to inform the general public that the e-tags are available for sale from Friday, 17th May, 2024 at the following locations,” FAAN said.
“Lagos: Murtala Muhammed International Airport Lagos, Terminal 1, 5th Floor) Office of HOD Commercial. Contact: 08033713796 or 08023546030.
“Abuja: Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport, HOD Commercial Office (General Aviation Terminal) Contact: 08034633527 or  08137561615.”
FAAN however said there would be an option to pay in cash at the access gates for motorists without e-tags.
On May 14, Minister of Aviation and Aerospace Development, Festus Keyamo, announced that everyone, including the President and Vice President, would pay tolls at the airports.
Keyamo said the government was losing over 82 per cent of the revenue it should have earned from the access fee.