Chinese firm seizes another Nigeria’s jet in Canada

In a dramatic legal battle, Chinese firm Zhongshang Fucheng Industrial Investment Ltd. has successfully repossessed a luxury jet owned by Nigeria in Canada. The aircraft, a Bombardier 6000 type BD-700-1A10, was officially transferred to Zhongshang after Canadian authorities in Montreal finalized the change of custodian paperwork, following a court ruling that empowered the firm to seize the jet.

The saga began when a Canadian court granted Zhongshang the right to seize the aircraft earlier this year. However, it wasn’t until recently that the paperwork was completed, marking a significant win for Zhongshang. “Zhongshang will not stop seizing Nigeria’s assets worldwide until the last cent of the arbitration awards has been paid,” an anonymous source familiar with the firm’s activities stated.

The aircraft, originally purchased for $57 million by fugitive Dan Etete, was part of his extravagant spending spree after securing over $350 million from the controversial sale of the OPL 245 oil field in 2010. Nigeria had initially seized the jet from Etete in 2016, holding it in Dubai before it was flown to Canada in 2020, where it remained under Nigerian custody until Zhongshang’s recent legal triumph.

Judge David Collier of the Superior Court of Quebec dismissed Nigeria’s attempts to retain ownership, including claims of sovereign immunity, declaring them “frivolous and unacceptable.” With this latest development, Zhongshang has expanded its seizure of Nigerian assets across the UK, France, and now Canada, with further actions anticipated in Belgium and the U.S. The case stems from a dispute over a 2001 trade treaty between Nigeria and China, which Zhongshang claims Ogun State violated in 2016.