Customs extends verification of private aircraft till July 20

The Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) has extended the deadline for verification of private aircraft till July 20.

Joseph Attah, NCS public relations officer, said this while addressing newsmen in Abuja on Thursday.

Customs announced the commencement of verification for private aircraft owners between June 7 and July 6, 2021 due to rising insecurity in the country.

In July, the agency said private aircrafts in the country with unverified documents will be detained from July 6, 2021.

Attah said: “At the end of the verification period, a total number of 58 private aircraft owners complied.

“In the process of verification, infractions discovered ranged around breach of temporary importation agreement and non-appropriate payment of duty and taxes.

“Interestingly, those in default have indicated interest to pay, with some already commencing the process by making appropriate declarations.

“Considering the level of response and indications for more, the comptroller-general of Customs, Colonel Hameed Ibrahim Ali (Rtd), has graciously extended the verification period for 14 days between 7th July to 20th July, 2021”.

He added that NCS will not hesitate to invoke appropriate sanctions against any private aircraft owner that fails to take advantage of the extending period in verifying his/her aircraft.

Attah also said Customs generated over N1 trillion in the first half of the year as against the N713.5 billion revenue generated within the same period in 2020.