Customs threatens to impound unverified private jets July 6

Nigeria Customs Service has threatened to impound private aircraft found to be unverified by the Federal Government’s agency as from July 6.

The Customs had earlier given the aircraft owners a 30-day importation verification deadline, ending on July 6.

Public Relations Officer of the Customs, Deputy Comptroller Joseph Attah, said at a briefing in Abuja on Monday that so far, only six owners of private aircraft had responded to the invitation since the verification window opened on June 7, 2021.

“The Service believes that owners of private aircraft are highly-placed individuals who would be willing to comply with extant laws of the land governing importation of the aircraft they own, this includes payments of all appropriate duties and taxes,” he said.

Attah also told owners of private aircraft or their representatives to report to the Customs headquarters in Abuja before July 6, with the necessary documents for the verification.

He listed the required documents as Aircraft Certificate of Registration, NCAA’s Flight Operations Compliance Certificate (FOCC), NCAA’s Maintenance Compliance Certificate (MCC), NCAA’s Permit for non-Commercial Flights (PNCF) and Temporary Import Permit (TIP), where applicable.

He also said there were indications that some people brought in aircraft under the Temporary Import Permit (PIP).

“The period for such temporary importation for some of the aircraft has expired and they have neither renewed nor re-exported the aircraft in line with extant laws governing that in Nigeria. At the end of the verification, some of the things we are suspecting will come to light and we will make further details known.

“As agency of government responsible for enforcement of laws governing imports and exports in Nigeria, the NCS will not hesitate to invoke appropriate sanctions on any defaulting private aircraft owner immediately after the expiration of the verification period on Tuesday July 6, 2021.”

Attah said the essence of the audit was to ensure that all aircraft privately owned in the country were properly imported and cleared with all appropriate taxes paid.