Billionaire Sayyu Dantata To Forfeit 3 Aircraft Over N2.31bn Unpaid Import Duty

MICHAEL AKINOLA

The Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) has asked the Federal High Court in Lagos to permanently confiscate three aircraft linked to billionaire businessman Sayyu Dantata, over an alleged unpaid import duty of N2,312,946,260.

The motion, dated June 2026, was filed before the Lagos Judicial Division.

The aircraft listed in the court filing are: a 2011 Beechcraft King Air 350i with serial number FL-750; a 2013 Gulfstream G550 with serial number 5455 and 2018 Robinson R66 helicopter.

Customs told the court that the duty rate applicable was 5% of value, which implies the three aircraft are together worth about N46.3 billion on the service’s own arithmetic.

The Gulfstream is the most valuable, with comparable models of that vintage listed internationally at close to $30 million.

Dantata is the founder of MRS Holdings, the downstream petroleum group that runs fuel stations across Nigeria, and is a half-brother of Aliko Dangote and a member of the Kano-based Dantata business family.

The motion also names Bestaf Services and Metro Capital as respondents.

Customs alleges the aircraft were brought into Nigeria without declaration, permit, approval or payment of the required duty, and that the respondents misrepresented or failed to declare their actual purpose and status on entry.

It says permanently based private aircraft attract import duty, and that a recent private-aircraft verification exercise uncovered the shortfall.

The Service is not praying for a temporary order but asking for final seizure, condemnation and forfeiture under Sections 245 and 246 of the Nigeria Customs Service Act 2023, for ownership and possession to be vested in the service on behalf of the Federal Government, and for authority to sell or otherwise dispose of the aircraft.

Customs said the order was needed to stop the aircraft leaving Nigeria and frustrating enforcement.

The supporting affidavit was sworn by Simi Adamson of the service’s legal department.

Dantata is not the only wealthy Nigerian caught by the verification exercise.

The Nigerian Customs has separately pursued oil magnate Folorunsho Alakija’s Famfa Oil over aircraft held in Nigeria, in a case involving an alleged N8.85 billion in unpaid duty, which suggests a systematic review of privately owned jets rather than a single action.

The proportion is what stands out. Customs is seeking to take aircraft worth about $35 million on its own calculation, over a duty claim of roughly $1.75 million, because the statute makes goods brought in without proper declaration liable to forfeiture rather than simply to a bill.

While nothing has been proved, the allegations are claims made in court filings, no judgment has been delivered, and the case has been adjourned to October 22, 2026 for continuation of hearing.