A French court has authorized the seizure of three Nigerian presidential jets, as part of an ongoing legal battle between a Chinese firm and Ogun State.
The seizure stems from a dispute between Zhongshan Fucheng Industrial Investment Co. Ltd and the Ogun State government over a terminated export processing zone management contract. An arbitral tribunal awarded Zhongshan $74.5 million in compensation, which remains unpaid.
Sources familiar with the matter told PREMIUM TIMES that two of the seized aircraft are part of Nigeria’s presidential fleet, while the third is a newly purchased Airbus 330 that had not yet been delivered. The jets, currently undergoing maintenance, include a Dassault Falcon 7X at Le Bourget airport in Paris and a Boeing 737 at Basel-Mulhouse airport in Switzerland.
The court order prohibits Nigeria from moving or selling the jets until Zhongshan receives the awarded sum. Bailiffs have reportedly served papers for each aircraft.
This development follows the recent seizure of Nigerian-owned buildings in Liverpool, England, by a UK court in relation to the same dispute. The properties, located at 15 Aigburth Hall Road and 49 Calderstones Road, are estimated to be worth between £1.3 and £1.7 million.
The conflict originated in 2010 when Zhuhai Zhongfu Industrial Group Co Ltd, Zhongshan’s parent company, entered into an agreement with the Ogun Guangdong Free Trade Zone (OGFTZ) to establish and manage the Fucheng Industrial Park. In 2016, the Ogun State government moved to terminate Zhongfu’s appointment and appoint a new manager for the free trade zone.
Zhongfu responded by launching an investment treaty arbitration against Nigeria, citing the bilateral investment treaty between China and Nigeria. On March 26, 2021, an arbitral tribunal issued a final award of $55,675,000, plus interest and costs, payable by Nigeria to Zhongshan.
The Explainer learned, despite repeated pleas from the federal government for Ogun State to resolve the dispute amicably, no settlement has been reached.
The seizure order, issued by the Enforcement Judge at the Paris Judicial Court, authorizes Zhongshan to seize the three aircraft “as security for its claim of EUR 74,459,221.”
The order allows bailiffs to position the aircraft to prevent takeoff and appoint custodians for the seized jets.
As of the time of reporting, the Nigerian government has not issued an official statement regarding the seizure of the presidential jets.
