The Nigerian Customs Service (NCS) is set to ground over 60 private jets owned by prominent individuals due to significant unpaid import duties, amounting to billions of naira.

This enforcement action, which begins today, follows a comprehensive verification exercise conducted by the NCS from June to July 2024, aimed at identifying improperly imported aircraft.

The NCS' recent decision comes almost three months after the verification process, which revealed widespread non-payment of duties among private jet owners.

The affected aircraft include those owned by influential business leaders and executives from major banks. Notifications have already been sent to some owners, and it is expected that more will receive similar notices today.

As a result, several operators have initiated efforts to settle their outstanding duties. For instance, the owner of a Gulfstream G650ER jet has reportedly paid N5.3 billion in import duties to avoid being grounded.

The NCS has previously undertaken similar actions, recovering substantial amounts in import duties during past enforcement exercises, which is set to generate over N260 billion for the government.

In addition to grounding non-compliant jets, the NCS has communicated with both the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority and the Nigerian Airspace Management Agency to ensure that identified aircraft are denied flight clearances until all dues are settled.

The NAMA has issued directives to air traffic control units to enforce these restrictions starting today.

The NCS's actions are rooted in the Nigerian Customs Act of 2023, which empowers the agency to penalize owners or importers of goods that have been improperly imported.

While some aircraft owners have engaged in negotiations with customs officials, others have committed to clearing their dues upon their return to Nigeria.