Seizure of Presidential jets: French court orders seizure of three Nigerian presidential jets

ABUJA— The Presidency has swiftly responded to the seizure of three Nigerian presidential jets by a Chinese firm, Zhongshan Fucheng Industrial Investment Company, following a court order from the Judicial Court of Paris. The jets were seized in connection with a legal dispute between Ogun State and Zhongshan, which has escalated into a major international incident.

The federal government has dismissed the court orders as an attempt to unlawfully strip Nigeria of its assets, likening the situation to the infamous P&ID case where Nigeria narrowly avoided a multi-billion dollar judgment. Both the federal and Ogun State governments are now making urgent efforts to vacate the orders obtained by Zhongshan on March 7 and August 12, 2024, to secure the release of the planes.

The dispute dates back to a 2007 contract between Ogun State and Zhongshan to manage a free-trade zone, which soured in 2015 and led to arbitration. By 2019, an Arbitral Panel awarded over $60 million against Nigeria, despite the minimal work done by Zhongshan. Ogun State has been actively resisting the enforcement of this award across multiple jurisdictions, and recent efforts to reach a settlement with Zhongshan fell apart.

Special Adviser to the President on Information and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga, condemned the seizure, asserting that the Federal Government is not under any contractual obligation with Zhongshan. He accused the company of using deceptive tactics to mislead the French court into issuing the order and vowed to work with Ogun State to overturn it, ensuring that Nigeria’s assets are protected from “predators and shylocks masquerading as investors.”