FAMFA Oil Limited, the company associated with Africa’s richest woman, Folorunsho Alakija, has been accused of illegally keeping a fleet of three Bombardier private jets worth close to $200 million in Nigeria for extended periods without complying with the country’s customs requirements.
The controversy has escalated into a major dispute with the Federal Government, which has assessed one of the aircraft, a Bombardier Global 7500, registration VP-CTO, with an outstanding customs duty bill of N8,849,869,111.
The matter is currently before the courts.
According to an investigation by Secrets Reporters, the three aircraft involved are a Bombardier Global 6000 XRS, registration VP-CFO; a Bombardier Global 6000, registration VP-CEO; and a Bombardier Global 7500, registration VP-CTO.
The Global 7500 is the newest and most expensive aircraft in the fleet, with a new list price of approximately $75 million. The ultra-long-range jet is capable of flying non-stop between Lagos and destinations including London, New York and Dubai.
The controversy reportedly followed a nationwide verification exercise initiated by the Nigeria Customs Service to identify privately owned aircraft operating in Nigeria without properly completing the required import procedures.
An initial verification exercise was conducted in 2021, followed by another exercise in 2024. The process reportedly involved cross-checking aircraft ownership records, Temporary Importation Permits, Nigeria Civil Aviation Authority clearance certificates and the physical presence of aircraft at Nigerian airports.
FAMFA Oil’s three aircraft were subsequently listed among aircraft flagged by the authorities over alleged irregularities relating to their importation and continued presence in the country.
The customs assessment against the Global 7500 alone stands at N8,849,869,111.
Records reviewed in the investigation show that the controversy involving the Global 6000, VP-CEO, dates back to 2012.
The aircraft reportedly arrived in Nigeria and underwent post-arrival customs inspection in September 2012, after an initial import permit was issued in August of that year.
Under Nigeria’s Temporary Importation Permit regime, an aircraft brought into the country temporarily may remain for one year, subject to renewal, with a maximum permitted period of two years.
At the expiration of the authorised period, the aircraft is expected to either leave Nigeria or be converted to permanent importation, with applicable customs duties and taxes paid.
However, the investigation found that VP-CEO remained in Nigeria and continued operating well beyond the period permitted under the temporary importation regime.
The records reportedly contain no evidence of a completed permanent conversion or formal export of the aircraft within the applicable period.
The second aircraft, the Global 6000 XRS, VP-CFO, presents another significant customs documentation issue.
The aircraft reportedly underwent post-arrival customs inspection in July 2015, but its Temporary Importation Permit was not procured until February 2016—about seven months after the aircraft had already arrived.
According to Secrets Reporters, the underlying customs record described the subsequent action as an attempt to “surreptitiously” regularise the aircraft’s presence after its arrival.
The implication was that the aircraft had entered Nigeria before the documentation required to support its temporary importation had been obtained.
Even after the permit was eventually secured, records reviewed in the investigation indicate that VP-CFO remained in Nigeria beyond the maximum period allowed under the temporary importation arrangement.
The third aircraft, the Global 7500, VP-CTO, has emerged as the most financially significant part of the dispute.
The aircraft was reportedly flown into Nigeria on December 6, 2023.
The investigation found no record of a Temporary Importation Permit application or statutory customs fee payment for the aircraft before the Federal Government commenced its case.
That alleged absence of the required documentation forms part of the basis for the N8.85 billion customs duty assessment.
The investigation also uncovered another major issue involving the three aircraft: the alleged absence of formal documentation permanently exporting them from Nigeria after their temporary importation periods expired.
According to the records reviewed, FAMFA Oil did not obtain approval for the permanent exportation of the aircraft at the end of their respective permit periods.
There were also reportedly no Permits to Export issued by the Minister of Aviation, nor Bills of Exit or Certificates of Exportation issued by the Nigeria Customs Service for the three jets.
The investigation further examined the international movements of the aircraft and found that ordinary trips abroad appeared to have been treated as evidence of their departure from Nigeria.
But under customs procedures, a private aircraft travelling abroad temporarily and subsequently returning to Nigeria is not necessarily regarded as having been permanently exported.
A flight from Lagos to London, Dubai, New York or another international destination and a subsequent return to Nigeria does not, by itself, amount to permanent exportation for customs purposes.
That distinction is central to the dispute.
The records also reportedly show that the three aircraft retained Flight Operations Clearance Certificates and Maintenance Clearance Certificates issued by the Nigeria Civil Aviation Authority throughout the period under scrutiny.
The certificates, which authorise aircraft to operate within Nigeria, were reportedly not cancelled or revoked for the three jets.
The continued validity of the aviation clearances has been cited as evidence that the aircraft continued to operate within Nigeria rather than being permanently exported from the country.
FAMFA Oil is a major player in Nigeria’s oil industry and holds an interest in OML 127, associated with the Agbami deepwater oil field.
The company’s connection to Alakija has brought further attention to the dispute, given her longstanding position among Africa’s wealthiest women.
The customs requirements governing privately imported aircraft include obtaining the appropriate Temporary Importation Permit, submitting documentation establishing the aircraft’s value and ownership or lease arrangements, providing the required financial security where applicable, and presenting the aircraft for customs inspection.
The Federal Government’s position, as reflected in the records reviewed, is that the three aircraft did not comply with the applicable customs requirements governing their importation and continued stay in Nigeria.
The case therefore raises questions over the legality of the aircraft’s continued presence in the country, the validity and duration of their temporary importation permits, whether the aircraft were properly exported when required, and whether the applicable customs duties consequently became payable.
The N8.85 billion assessment against the Global 7500 represents the largest known financial claim arising from the dispute.
The case is now before the courts, where FAMFA Oil’s position and the Federal Government’s claims will be tested against the relevant customs, aviation and importation records.
The judicial proceedings will ultimately determine whether the customs demands are legally enforceable and whether the aircraft were lawfully brought into and retained in Nigeria.
Until the court reaches a final determination, the allegations and claims contained in the investigation and government records remain subject to judicial determination.