Customs denies demanding N76m from 70-year US returnee

The Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) has denied allegations by a 70-year old United States returnee, Mr Olukayode David-Albert, that the officers of the service in Lagos demanded for N76 million to clear his two vehicles and personal belongings, insisting that the accusation is baseless.

Reports on Sunday said David-Albert had expressed frustration over demand for bribes by officers of the Nigeria Customs Service, who initially gave him a bill of N76 million as import duty for his two vehicles and personal belongings before reducing it to N53.5 million.

According to him, Customs demanded N3.3 million for his 2011 Chrysler, N70.8 million for a 2024 Hyundai SUV, and N2 million for household goods, totaling N76 million.

After negotiations, the “compromise value” was reduced to N53.5 million, including additional fees for valuation, headquarters approval, and other charges.

However, responding to the allegations, Customs in a statement signed by Ngozi Okwara, public relations officer of the Tincan Island Command of the NCS, on Tuesday clarified that while David-Albert was entitled to a duty-free import of his personal belongings, import duty for his two vehicles stood at N34.9 million.

“In line with the ECOWAS Common External Tariff (CET) 2022–2026, Schedule 2 No. 8 (3), it is expressly stated that goods classified as “baggage” for Nigerian citizens who have resided outside Nigeria for at least nine months may be brought in duty-free. However, this provision explicitly excludes vehicles or goods intended for sale, barter, or exchange.

“Consequently, while Mr. David-Albert is eligible to import his personal belongings duty-free, the two vehicles in his consignment are not exempted from duty payments. Specifically, the luxurious 2024 Hyundai SUV attracts an Import Duty rate of 20%, a levy of 20%, and a Value Added Tax (VAT) of 7.5%, in compliance with Nigeria’s customs regulations. The Command determined the appropriate duty value for the two vehicles to be ₦34,969,374.00. This value is significantly less than the ₦53.5 million alleged as a “compromise” amount in the publication.”