The Nigeria Customs Service has asked the Federal High Court in Lagos to order the permanent forfeiture of three aircraft linked to Sayyu Dantata, founder of MRS Holdings, over an alleged ₦2.31 billion unpaid import duty. The application puts the aircraft at risk of seizure and possible disposal by the Federal Government, escalating a dispute over their importation and status in Nigeria.
Three Aircraft Face Forfeiture Bid
According to Billionaires Africa, the aircraft comprise 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’s serial number is 5455. Although the dispute has attracted attention around private jets, the application covers three different aircraft types: a turboprop aeroplane, a business jet and a helicopter.
Customs 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. The service 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, reports Billionaires Africa.
₦2.31bn Claim Puts Much Larger Assets at Stake
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. That estimate requires a distinction: it is derived from the duty calculation, rather than an independent market valuation of the aircraft.
The scale of the assets involved explains the stakes for the respondents. Customs is seeking an order that could transfer ownership of all three aircraft to the government. Dantata founded MRS Holdings, the downstream petroleum group with fuel stations across Nigeria, and belongs to the Kano-based Dantata business family.
Customs Seeks Ownership and Disposal Powers
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, alongside 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. Dantata, a half-brother of Aliko Dangote, is named alongside Bestaf Services and Metro Capital as respondents. However, the allegations remain unproven, and the court has not delivered a final judgment.
Court Yet to Decide
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.
Legit.ng earlier reported that Aliko Dangote's estimated net worth has climbed to $35.2 billion, according to Bloomberg Billionaires Index figures, 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, both of which have gained considerably this year.
