Impound Warnings: Nigerian Customs Gives Deadline for Payment of Vehicle Duties

The Nigerian Customs Services on Thursday gave a one-month grace period for all vehicles in the country whose customs duties have not been paid to do so or risk being impounded.
The Comptroller-General of Customs, Hameed Ali, a retired Army colonel, who approved the grace period said it would last between Monday, March 13 and Wednesday, April 12, 2017.

Consequently, Customs spokesperson, Joseph Attah, said all motor dealers and private owners of such vehicles were advised to visit the nearest Customs Zonal Office to pay up the appropriate Customs Duty on such defaulting vehicles.
Mr. Attah said such payment could be done in the four zonal offices of the Nigeria Customs Service, including Zone A Headquarters, No. 1 Harvey Road, Yaba, Lagos; Zone B Headquarters, Kabala Doki, Kaduna; Zone C Headquarters, Nigeria Ports Authority, Port Harcourt, and Zone D Headquarters, Yelwa Tudu Road, Bauchi State.
He said the CGC called on all persons in possession of such vehicles to take advantage of the grace period to pay appropriate duties on them, as there would be an aggressive anti-smuggling operation to seize as well as prosecute owners of such smuggled vehicles after the deadline.
“For the avoidance of doubt, all private car owners who are not sure of the authenticity of their vehicles Customs documents can also approach the Zonal Offices to verify with a view to complying with the provision of the law,” Mr. Attah said.