Nigerian Customs Grounds 60 Private Jets Of Bank Executives, Oil Moguls, Others Amid Crackdown On Unpaid Duties

The Nigerian Government has grounded at least 60 private jets across major Nigerian airports as part of a crackdown on owners who have allegedly failed to pay import duties running into several billions of naira.

According to The PUNCH, the Nigeria Customs Service (NCS), which spearheaded the operation, confirmed that several luxury aircraft—including Bombardier Global 6000, 6500, and 7500 series—were affected. 

The clampdown also led to the sealing of private jet hangars at Lagos and Abuja airports.

The reports stated that the aviation and customs sectors disclosed on Wednesday that the move followed a verification exercise launched to identify private jet owners who had defaulted. 

The initiative, originally slated to commence on October 14, 2024, was delayed after the NCS extended the deadline to November 14, 2024. 

Among the affected are high-profile individuals, including bank executives, oil industry magnates, and executives of multinational companies. 

Many of them are reportedly lobbying the Presidency in a bid to secure the release of their grounded aircraft.

However, despite the expiration of the initial deadline on November 14, 2024, the NCS remained silent about its planned enforcement against private jet owners who had failed to pay outstanding customs duties. 

When questioned about the agency’s inaction at the time, the NCS spokesperson, Abdullahi Maiwada, explained that multiple court cases had delayed enforcement.

However, fresh findings on Wednesday revealed that the NCS had quietly begun grounding both privately and corporately owned jets. 

The clampdown reportedly started on Monday without any new public notice, according to affected stakeholders.

Sources disclosed to The PUNCH that NCS officials sealed several aircraft at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport in Lagos and the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport in Abuja. This marks a major enforcement step by the agency, seven months after it issued final warnings to defaulters.

When contacted, Maiwada confirmed the development, stating that the NCS had commenced enforcement and would continue until all outstanding payments were made.

“Yes, enforcement has started. The aircraft are grounded for the non-payment of customs duty, and as soon as they come over to regularise their payment and give what is due to Nigerians, they will get it back,” he said.

He added, “We issued a statement when we started the verification, and we extended the period and even ‘over extended the period’, now that we are acting, everyone already knows our reason. 

“We just have to enforce, we have to collect revenue for Nigerians so that it will be used for Nigerians.”

Maiwada emphasised that several appeals were made to the defaulting aircraft owners to regularise their documentation or pay applicable duties, but many failed to comply.

“Now that they’re grounded, they will have to respond. We believe they will comply,” he said.

Meanwhile, credible sources within the Customs Service disclosed that some jet owners have started lobbying for the release of their aircraft, with some even reaching out to the Presidency.

One major commercial bank has reportedly pledged to settle its outstanding duties by next Tuesday, while another is negotiating indirectly through its representatives. 

An energy company operating three jets has also made commitments to resolve its dues within the week.

Amidst the pressure, there are reports that the NCS is considering temporary relief for some owners. A document dated June 4, 2025, allegedly signed by Deputy Comptroller-General C.K. Niagwan on behalf of the Comptroller-General, indicates that some grounded jets are being “temporarily unsealed.”

According to the document, the temporary measure is aimed at allowing operators to submit relevant documentation and engage with the agency to agree on modalities for settling outstanding duties and taxes. 

It stressed that the action does not amount to a waiver of statutory obligations but is intended solely to facilitate compliance. Only a select number of aircraft are affected by this measure.

Reacting to the development, Frank Oruye, a former deputy director of engineering at the now-defunct Nigeria Airways, urged both private jet operators and the Customs Service to adopt global best practices in their operations.

He appealed to aircraft owners to pay what is due to the government and advised the Customs to act professionally in their dealings.

Oruye also recounted long-standing disputes between the defunct Nigeria Airways and the NCS over aircraft components, specifically high-cost items known as Rotables.

Similarly, retired Group Captain John Ojikutu raised security concerns, revealing that many of the grounded jets are foreign-registered—a situation he described as a threat to national security.

He blamed both the Customs and the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA) for failing to control the influx and operation of undocumented aircraft.

“When I was at the airport, I seized Abiola’s aircraft twice! Why are people behaving this way nowadays? In Demuren’s days, such wouldn’t have happened,” he recalled.

“All these things happening are risky, not even now that we don’t know the people in charge of the insurgency. To now fly foreign aircraft without clearance is a threat to national security.  Both customs and the NCAA should be blamed for allowing them to fly such aircraft in the country,” he said.