Aviation Fraud: How Charter Jet Owners Cheat Nigeria

By FIDELUS ZWANSON

NIGERIA’S private charter aviation sector has, for years, been a theatre of fraud. At the centre of it lies the abuse of the Temporary Import Permit (TIP)—a loophole that allows foreign-registered jets to fly freely across our skies while denying the country billions in badly needed revenue.

The scandal is not just about dishonest operators. It is about two regulators talking past each other: the Nigeria Customs Service (NCS), which demands duty payments, and the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA), which grants operational approvals. Between their conflicting rules, operators have found a grey zone where illegality thrives.

The Law Is Clear—But Not Enforced

Section 12 of the Customs and Excise Management Act (CEMA) provides that goods admitted temporarily must either be re-exported within two years or converted to “home use” with duty paid. For an aircraft worth $25 million, duty can reach N8 billion.

Yet many charter jets have been in Nigeria since as far back as 2008 without paying a kobo in duty. Instead, they renew TIPs endlessly, or hide under NCAA approvals to keep flying lucrative charter operations.

This is not ignorance. It is deliberate exploitation of a weak state.

Customs vs NCAA: A Turf War at Public Expense

Customs insists an aircraft is like any other import: once it stays, duty must be paid. NCAA insists foreign-registered jets can operate if they meet safety and operational standards. Operators exploit this divergence, paying NCAA fees while dodging Customs duties.

The result? Unfair competition. Local operators who import jets properly and pay full duties are forced to compete with rivals who have sidestepped billions in obligations.

This is not just bad economics—it is corruption masquerading as regulatory ambiguity.

Political Cover and Judicial Shielding

When Customs moves to act, politics intervenes. In June 2024, Customs moved to ground 60 jets. By August, after “high-level interventions,” enforcement was softened. In June 2025, Customs identified 29 operators liable for duty. Many have still not paid.

Political connections, high-powered lawyers, and friendly court orders have become the weapons of choice for offenders. The judiciary, too often pliant, provides delays that allow illegal operations to continue.

This is not regulation. It is collusion.

The Real Cost of Looking Away

The numbers are staggering. On each aircraft, Nigeria loses billions in unpaid duties. Multiply that across dozens of jets and the figure climbs into tens of billions of naira—money that could fund hospitals, schools, or roads.

Beyond revenue, regulatory credibility is at stake. When laws are ignored for the rich, why should ordinary Nigerians believe in compliance? Worse still, passengers flying on such jets are exposed. If something goes wrong, who bears responsibility for an aircraft whose legal standing is murky?

This is not just financial fraud. It is a threat to safety and public trust.

Time to Shut the Loophole

The solution is neither complex nor impossible. What is missing is political will.

Customs and NCAA must stop acting like rival kingdoms. A joint framework—defining when a jet moves from “temporary” to “permanent,” creating a central TIP register, and enforcing penalties without fear or favour—would close the gap. Courts must stop shielding violators. Politicians must stop interfering.

Above all, government must send one clear message: the era of free rides for private jet owners is over.

Nigeria cannot afford to bleed billions so that a few elites can dodge their lawful obligations.