The Nigeria Customs Service has extended the verification period for private jet owners by one month. This is a postponement from Monday, October 14 to Thursday, November 14.
According to a statement signed by Customs Spokesperson Abdullahi Maiwada and posted on the service’s Facebook page on Monday, the extension is intended to further engage operators who have demonstrated a readiness to regularize their import charges.
The latest development follows The PUNCH’s exclusive story that the government will ground over 60 private jets owned by highly influential people in the country for unpaid import duties totaling several billions of naira.
According to documents exchanged between the NCS and the Nigerian Airspace Management Agency, which were exclusively sighted by The PUNCH, the enforcement exercise was scheduled to commence on October 14th, 2024.
But the service in a new directive said it has provided an additional window to comply with the necessary regulations.
The statement read, “The Nigeria Customs Service wishes to inform the general public, particularly operators of privately-owned aircraft, that the verification exercise for the recovery of import duties on illegally imported private aircraft has been extended by one month, from Monday, 14th October 2024, to Thursday, 14th November 2024.
“This extension aims to further engage operators who have expressed willingness to regularize their import duties, providing them with an additional window to comply with the necessary regulations.
“The NCS is committed to ensuring that all illegally imported aircraft meet the legal requirements, thereby promoting transparency and accountability in the aviation sector.”