Customs compiles dossier of how Vice-President Sambo aided evasion of millions of duties by close ally
More facts have emerged on how the office of Vice President Namadi Sambo was used for the evasion of millions of Customs duties by his close ally, Kashim Bukar Shettima, and his companies.
Documents obtained from the Nigeria Customs Service by The Eagle Online detailed some of the anomalies in the importation by Shettima, with outright false declaration and gross under-declaration of goods and gross under-payment of customs levies.
In one of the transactions by one of Shetima’s companies, Skylimited Jet and Charter Services Limited (RC72300), the NCS said the N8,703, 906 paid as duties for the importation of 9 x 40FT Conts. STC. Aircraft Hanger and other prefabricated buildings, was grossly inadequate.
The NCS said only 20 per cent of what should have accrued to the country for the importation from the United States of America was paid.
The NCS report said: “Goods have been grossly under valued. Customs Tax Base is on Cost, Insurance and Freight (CIF). Freight value of 1x40Ft. empty Container from US to Nigeria alone is about $8,000.00. The CIF Value of ₦ 8,703,976.00 declared for the 9x40 Containers does not even cover the Freight cost.”
In another transaction by Enigma Pharmaceutical Limited, with RC444912, Shettima was accused of importing brand new cars but declared them as used in order to evade payment of correct duties.
The importation from Germany was for One Unit Mercedes Benz GL450 and One Unit Mercedes Benz GL500.
For this transaction, the company paid what the NCS calculated to be just 35 per cent of what should have accrued to the country - ₦5,714,285.00.
In its comment on the transaction, the NCS said: “The Vehicles have been declared as Used with an intent to evade duty payment. The vehicles are New. CIF Value is very low. Violates Destination Import Policy on Form M and R.A.R.”
The same comment was made on the importation of four Units Mercedes Benz C250 and three Units Mercedes Benz C300, also from Germany.
Shettima paid ₦10,500,123.00, which amounted to just 20 per cent of the duties that should have been paid.
There are worse transactions on the list of the NCS.
Two of such are the payment of only five per cent of the duties that should have accrued to Nigeria from the importation of aircraft spare parts and fertilizer from Russia and the United States of America.
Skylimited Jet and Charter Services Limited, in care of Barbedos Oil and Gas Limited with RC647361, imported from the United States 4x40FT Containers STC Aircraft Parts (Parts of Goods of Heading 88.01 or 88.02) and paid ₦7,129,653.00.
For the importation of 27,266.40 Metric Tons STC. Fertilizer NPK 15-15-15 (Mineral or Chemical Fertilizer with Nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium) by Barbedos Ventures Limited from Russia, the company paid ₦1,713,440,057.00.
The Nigeria Customs Service, in its opinion on the importations, said in the report: “Goods have been grossly under valued. Customs Tax Base is on Cost, Insurance and Freight (CIF). Freight value of 1x40Ft. empty Container from US to Nigeria alone is about $8,000.00. The CIF Value of ₦7,129,653.00 declared for the 4x40 Containers is only for the Freight.
The report, which is attached below, detailed other transactions through which Shettima, said to be a car dealer before he struck it big with Sambo, had shortchanged the country by using the name of the office of the Vice President for his importation activities.
He was accused of outright false declaration in another importation deal.
Bab\rbedos Group imported 1 x 40FT Conts. STC. Rolls of Insulation Materials (Other Machines for making gimped yarn, tulle, lace, embroidery) from the United States of America, paying to the NCS ₦1,685,603.00.
But the NCS said of the importation: “Goods described as Rolls of Insulation Materials. (Other Machines for making gimped yarn, tulle, lace, embroidery). However, it was declared as Other Machines for making gimped yarn, tulle, lace, embroidery under HS Code 8447.9000.00 @ 5% duty rate. It is a False Declaration to evade payment of appropriate duty and taxes. The CIF value was also grossly under value. Freight Charges for 1x40 Container from US is over $8,000.00.”
In one of the transactions by one of Shetima’s companies, Skylimited Jet and Charter Services Limited (RC72300), the NCS said the N8,703, 906 paid as duties for the importation of 9 x 40FT Conts. STC. Aircraft Hanger and other prefabricated buildings, was grossly inadequate.
The NCS said only 20 per cent of what should have accrued to the country for the importation from the United States of America was paid.
The NCS report said: “Goods have been grossly under valued. Customs Tax Base is on Cost, Insurance and Freight (CIF). Freight value of 1x40Ft. empty Container from US to Nigeria alone is about $8,000.00. The CIF Value of ₦ 8,703,976.00 declared for the 9x40 Containers does not even cover the Freight cost.”
In another transaction by Enigma Pharmaceutical Limited, with RC444912, Shettima was accused of importing brand new cars but declared them as used in order to evade payment of correct duties.
The importation from Germany was for One Unit Mercedes Benz GL450 and One Unit Mercedes Benz GL500.
For this transaction, the company paid what the NCS calculated to be just 35 per cent of what should have accrued to the country - ₦5,714,285.00.
In its comment on the transaction, the NCS said: “The Vehicles have been declared as Used with an intent to evade duty payment. The vehicles are New. CIF Value is very low. Violates Destination Import Policy on Form M and R.A.R.”
The same comment was made on the importation of four Units Mercedes Benz C250 and three Units Mercedes Benz C300, also from Germany.
Shettima paid ₦10,500,123.00, which amounted to just 20 per cent of the duties that should have been paid.
There are worse transactions on the list of the NCS.
Two of such are the payment of only five per cent of the duties that should have accrued to Nigeria from the importation of aircraft spare parts and fertilizer from Russia and the United States of America.
Skylimited Jet and Charter Services Limited, in care of Barbedos Oil and Gas Limited with RC647361, imported from the United States 4x40FT Containers STC Aircraft Parts (Parts of Goods of Heading 88.01 or 88.02) and paid ₦7,129,653.00.
For the importation of 27,266.40 Metric Tons STC. Fertilizer NPK 15-15-15 (Mineral or Chemical Fertilizer with Nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium) by Barbedos Ventures Limited from Russia, the company paid ₦1,713,440,057.00.
The Nigeria Customs Service, in its opinion on the importations, said in the report: “Goods have been grossly under valued. Customs Tax Base is on Cost, Insurance and Freight (CIF). Freight value of 1x40Ft. empty Container from US to Nigeria alone is about $8,000.00. The CIF Value of ₦7,129,653.00 declared for the 4x40 Containers is only for the Freight.
The report, which is attached below, detailed other transactions through which Shettima, said to be a car dealer before he struck it big with Sambo, had shortchanged the country by using the name of the office of the Vice President for his importation activities.
He was accused of outright false declaration in another importation deal.
Bab\rbedos Group imported 1 x 40FT Conts. STC. Rolls of Insulation Materials (Other Machines for making gimped yarn, tulle, lace, embroidery) from the United States of America, paying to the NCS ₦1,685,603.00.
But the NCS said of the importation: “Goods described as Rolls of Insulation Materials. (Other Machines for making gimped yarn, tulle, lace, embroidery). However, it was declared as Other Machines for making gimped yarn, tulle, lace, embroidery under HS Code 8447.9000.00 @ 5% duty rate. It is a False Declaration to evade payment of appropriate duty and taxes. The CIF value was also grossly under value. Freight Charges for 1x40 Container from US is over $8,000.00.”
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