Nigerian billionaire Sayyu Dantata could lose $35 million of aircraft over a $1.75 million bill

The Nigeria Customs Service has asked the Federal High Court in Lagos to permanently confiscate three aircraft linked to Sayyu Dantata, over an alleged unpaid import duty of 2,312,946,260 naira, about $1.75 million.

The aircraft are worth far more than the claim. Customs told the court that the duty rate applicable was 5% of value, which implies the three are together worth about 46.3 billion naira, roughly $35 million, on the service's own arithmetic.

The three are a 2011 Beechcraft King Air 350i with serial number FL-750, a 2013 Gulfstream G550 with serial number 5455, and a 2018 Robinson R66 helicopter. The Gulfstream is the most valuable, with comparable models of that vintage listed internationally at close to $30 million.

Dantata founded 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.

What it wants is not a temporary order. The motion, dated June 2026, asks 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. Customs has separately pursued Folorunsho Alakija's Famfa Oil over aircraft held in Nigeria, in a case involving an alleged 8.85 billion naira in unpaid duty, which suggests a systematic review of privately owned jets rather than a single action.

The proportion is what stands out here. 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.

Nothing has been proved. The allegations are claims made in court filings, no judgment has been delivered, and the case has been adjourned to Oct. 22 for continuation of hearing.

Neither Dantata nor MRS Holdings has commented publicly.