Chai! No be small matter oh! Federal High Court wey dey sit for Abuja don order make dem seize one big jet wey no follow the law for Nigeria. Dis jet na Bombardier BD-700 Global 6000 wey Orlean Invest Africa Limited dey operate. E get registration mark wey be 9H-GVG, and e no be joke as di court don talk say e go be forfeited to Federal Government of Nigeria.
Di judge wey dey handle di case, Justice James Omotosho, don talk am clear. E say dem wey get di jet no fit show any proof say dem comply with customs laws for Nigeria. Na Nigeria Customs Service wey carry dem go court after dem carry out audit for private aircraft for 2024, discover say many of dem no pay wetin dem suppose pay as customs duty.
As e dey hot, di customs service don assess di total duty wey Orlean Invest dey owe as ₦1,044,493,295.54! Na wetin make dem carry di matter come court, seek make dem seize di aircraft wey no been pay proper custom duties according to di law.
Di court confirm say Orlean Invest no get any valid proof say dem pay duty or get Temporary Import Permit since dem bring di aircraft enter Naija on October 25, 2015. Na wetin Justice Omotosho call serious breach of di law, and di penalty wey dey follow na seizure and forfeiture under Section 246(a) of di Nigeria Customs Act.
As di judge talk am, “Dem no show any proof of payment of customs duties and dey don deprive Federal Government of revenue.” He don call di whole matter serious wahala and he dey even talk say di way wey dem dey operate di aircraft under foreign ownership na clear plan to cheat di government.
Di court confirm again say dem go seize di jet at any airport for Naija, just as dey don talk say dis matter na first of its kind for di country. Dis kind ruling dey show say judiciary dey serious to make sure say everybodi follow di law, no matter wetin dem be.
As di ruling drop, counsel to di Nigeria Customs Service, Mr. Okon Efut (SAN), don hail di judgment, call am groundbreaking. E don talk say na di first time dem don do dis kind matter for Naija level. Na wetin make di whole thing get k leg. Naija, we dey watch as dis saga don unfold!
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