The second Bell 412 Helicopter, which was among the two aircraft seized by the Nigeria Customs Service in January last year, has been deployed by the Nigerian Air Force.

The air force said the aircraft was deployed, following the induction of the first helicopter in November last year.

The two Bell Helicopters, valued at nine point seven billion naira, had been impounded by the customs, at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport, Lagos for failing to obtain an End User Certificate from the Office of the National Security Adviser.

Air Force Director of Public Relations and Information, Air Vice Marshal Olatokunbo Adesanya, who confirmed the deployment, said another Bell 412 Helicopter was going for operational deployment.

The Customs Comptroller-General, Col. Hameed Ali retd., had thereafter handed over the impounded helicopters, with serial numbers 36608 and 36606, to the air force.

Ali had explained that the two helicopters and 23 packages of accessories inside the seized consignment weighed 11,475kg, noting that they we seized from the importer because he contravened Section 36 (2) of the Customs and Excise Management Act.

Our correspondent learnt on Saturday that the major parts of the helicopter including its surveillance cameras were sent to the United States of America and Canada for an overhaul and repairs to restore their airworthiness.

The helicopters had been in the containers for about two years as of the time of the handover to the military.

“The major parts of the helicopter and its surveillance cameras had to be sent to the USA and Canada for overhaul and repairs. The helicopter’s major systems were later re-assembled at the NAF’s 631 Aircraft Maintenance Depot, Ikeja, Lagos State, by a combined team of foreign experts as well as NAF engineers and technicians.”