FAMFA Oil Faces ₦8.85bn Customs Duty Dispute Over Private Jet Fleet, Court Case Reveals Decade-Long Importation Questions

By TrackNews Online

A TrackNews Online investigation has uncovered a long-running customs dispute involving FAMFA Oil Limited and three Bombardier private jets linked to the company, with federal authorities demanding approximately ₦8.85 billion in import duty on one of the aircraft.

The dispute, which is now before the courts, centres on allegations that the aircraft remained in Nigeria beyond the permitted period for temporary importation and that required customs documentation was either obtained late, overstayed or, in the case of one aircraft, allegedly not obtained at all.

The three aircraft identified in the records are a Bombardier Global 6000 XRS, registration VP-CFO; Bombardier Global 6000, registration VP-CEO; and Bombardier Global 7500, registration VP-CTO.

Together, the aircraft represent a substantial private aviation fleet, with the Global 7500 alone having a new list price of about $75 million.

Customs verification brings fleet under scrutiny

The controversy emerged from nationwide verification exercises initiated by the Nigeria Customs Service to identify privately owned aircraft operating in the country without properly regularised importation status.

The exercises, conducted initially in 2021 and subsequently expanded in 2024, involved cross-checking aircraft ownership information, Temporary Importation Permits (TIPs) and aviation clearance documents against aircraft operating in Nigeria.

Records reviewed by TrackNews Online indicate that the three FAMFA Oil-linked aircraft were among those flagged by federal authorities.

The most significant financial assessment concerns the Bombardier Global 7500, VP-CTO, for which customs authorities reportedly assessed an outstanding duty of ₦8,849,869,111.

Global 6000: Aircraft allegedly remained beyond TIP period

Documents examined in the course of the investigation indicate that the Bombardier Global 6000, registered VP-CEO, arrived in Nigeria in 2012 and underwent post-arrival customs inspection in September of that year.

An import permit was reportedly issued in August 2012.

Under the applicable Temporary Importation Permit regime, the permitted period is subject to a maximum duration after which an aircraft must either be exported or regularised through permanent importation and payment of the applicable duties and taxes.

According to the records reviewed, the aircraft remained in Nigeria and continued to operate beyond the permitted period, without evidence in the documents examined of a completed permanent conversion or formal exportation.

Second jet allegedly obtained permit after arrival

The circumstances surrounding the Global 6000 XRS, VP-CFO, also raise questions about the timing of its customs documentation.

The aircraft reportedly underwent post-arrival inspection in July 2015, while its Temporary Importation Permit was obtained in February 2016—approximately seven months later.

Customs records cited in the dispute reportedly describe the subsequent regularisation as an attempt to address the aircraft’s status after its arrival.

The aircraft also allegedly remained in Nigeria beyond the period permitted under the temporary importation arrangement.

Global 7500 and ₦8.85bn assessment

The newest aircraft in the fleet, the Bombardier Global 7500, VP-CTO, arrived in Nigeria on December 6, 2023.

According to the records examined, customs authorities found no evidence of a Temporary Importation Permit having been obtained for the aircraft during the relevant period.

The absence of the required customs documentation became central to the government’s assessment of approximately ₦8.85 billion in import duty against the aircraft.

The matter has subsequently become the subject of legal proceedings.

Did international flights amount to exportation?

One of the central issues in the dispute is whether international flights made by the aircraft could be treated as evidence that the jets had been exported from Nigeria.

Investigative findings indicate that the authorities’ position is that ordinary flights to destinations outside Nigeria do not, by themselves, constitute permanent customs exportation.

Under that interpretation, an aircraft temporarily leaving Nigeria for a business or private flight and subsequently returning remains subject to the country’s customs requirements unless the appropriate export procedures have been completed.

Records reviewed by TrackNews Online reportedly show no evidence that FAMFA Oil obtained permanent export approvals, Bills of Exit or Certificates of Exportation for the three aircraft at the relevant stages.

Aviation certificates add another layer

Another important element of the dispute concerns aviation documentation.

The three aircraft reportedly continued to have operational and maintenance clearance documentation issued by the Nigeria Civil Aviation Authority during the period under review.

The government’s position, as reflected in the dispute, is that continued Nigerian aviation certification is inconsistent with the argument that the aircraft had been permanently exported from the country.

This distinction between temporary international movement and formal customs exportation is expected to be one of the issues considered in the ongoing court proceedings.

Questions surrounding a major oil company

FAMFA Oil is associated with billionaire businesswoman Folorunso Alakija and has interests in Nigeria’s oil and gas industry, including an interest connected to the Agbami deepwater field.

The customs controversy therefore raises questions not only about the company’s private aviation operations but also about compliance with Nigeria’s import and tax regulations by high-value corporate operators.

For ordinary importers, failure to comply with customs procedures can result in significant financial liabilities. The current dispute will determine whether the same rules were breached in relation to FAMFA Oil’s aircraft and, ultimately, whether the government’s assessment is legally sustainable.

What happens next?

The federal government’s case now faces judicial scrutiny.

At the heart of the dispute are questions over the validity and timing of the aircrafts’ Temporary Importation Permits, the duration of their stay in Nigeria, whether the jets were properly exported at any point, and whether the ₦8.85 billion customs assessment against the Global 7500 is legally justified.

Until the court determines the matter, the allegations remain contested.

TrackNews Online understands that the case could have wider implications for private aircraft owners and operators in Nigeria, particularly regarding the enforcement of Temporary Importation Permits and the distinction between international flight operations and formal customs exportation.

TrackNews Online will continue to follow the proceedings and report developments as they emerge.