Customs Seeks Forfeiture of Three Jets Linked to Sayyu Dantata Over ₦2.31bn Duty

The Nigeria Customs Service has asked the Federal High Court in Lagos to order permanent forfeiture of three aircraft linked to Sayyu Dantata, founder of MRS Holdings, over alleged ₦2.31 billion unpaid import duty. Dantata, a half-brother of Aliko Dangote, is named alongside Bestaf Services and Metro Capital as respondents. No forfeiture order has been issued.

Customs Alleges Unpaid Duty

Customs says the aircraft are a 2011 Beechcraft King Air 350i, a 2013 Gulfstream G550 and a 2018 Robinson R66 helicopter. The Beechcraft carries serial number FL-750, while the Gulfstream has serial number 5455.

The service alleges that the aircraft entered Nigeria without the required declarations, permits, approvals or payment of import duty. It also accuses the respondents of misrepresenting or failing to declare their actual purpose and status upon entry. Customs says its verification exercise involving privately owned aircraft uncovered the alleged shortfall. Its position is that private aircraft permanently based in Nigeria attract import duty. The amount Customs says remains unpaid is ₦2,312,946,260.

Based on the service's stated duty rate of five per cent, that figure implies a combined aircraft value of approximately ₦46.3 billion, about 20 times the disputed duty. The estimate is derived from the duty calculation, not an independent market valuation of the aircraft.

What Customs Wants

The motion, dated June 2026, seeks final seizure, condemnation and forfeiture under sections 245 and 246 of the Nigeria Customs Service Act 2023. Customs also wants ownership, control and possession vested in the service on behalf of the Federal Government, along with authority to dispose of or otherwise manage the aircraft in accordance with the law.

The agency argues that the orders are necessary to prevent the aircraft from being taken out of Nigeria, potentially frustrating enforcement. Simi Adamson of the service's legal department swore the affidavit supporting the application.

Hearing, Background and Dangote Context

The case has been adjourned until October 22, 2026, for continuation of the hearing. For now, the forfeiture remains a request before the court, rather than an approved confiscation. The next proceedings will determine how the dispute advances, with Customs still required to establish the basis for the orders it seeks.

Dantata founded MRS Holdings, the downstream petroleum group with fuel stations across Nigeria, and belongs to the Kano-based Dantata business family.

For Nigerian businesses and aircraft owners, the case underlines the compliance risk around private aircraft permanently based in Nigeria, as Customs pursues forfeiture rather than just a duty demand.

Separately, Bloomberg Billionaires Index figures put Aliko Dangote's estimated net worth at $35.2 billion, cementing his position as Africa's wealthiest person and pushing him from 92nd to 65th on the global rich list. The $5.27 billion increase recorded in 2026 has been driven largely by the performance of the Dangote Refinery in Lagos and Dangote Cement.