By Dickson Omobola

Nigerian Customs Service, NCS, has rescinded its decision to ground about 60 foreign registered private jets operating in the country over alleged default on import duty.

The development was confirmed by the National Spokesperson for the NCS, Maiwada Abdullahi.

Also, a circular by the service said the operators had been invited to a meeting in Abuja to discuss how the issue could be permanently resolved.

The circular dated June 4, 2025, signed by one C.K Niagwan, the Deputy Comptroller General, DCG, on behalf of the Comptroller General of Customs, CGC, said that the ?temporary unsealing? of the grounded aircraft received the approval of the CGC.

Abdullahi, in a chat with Vanguard, also said the operators were given a one-month grace to regularise their payments or face sanctions.

He said: ?We have given them a one month grace to regularise payments. Some have also started regularising the payment.?

Last night, reports emerged that no fewer than 60 private jets flying in the country had been grounded over alleged failure to pay import duty.

The grounding of the aircraft started at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport, MMIA, Lagos, and the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport, NAIA, Abuja, and other airports on Monday and continued till Tuesday.

This came eight months after the NCS had threatened to ground over 60 private jets owned by very important persons in the country over unpaid import duty.

While this did not take place, the NCS later announced the extension of the verification exercise for private jet owners by one month, from October 14, 2024, to November 14, 2024, which also didn’t happen.

But Abdullahi, in a chat with Vanguard earlier today, said the decision to effect grounding the private jets was not arbitrarily reached.

He said: ?It was not done arbitrarily without proper consultation. We gave them an ultimatum. Those whose private jets have been grounded know what to do. They have started coming to regularise their duty payments.?

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