A French court has reportedly seized three Nigerian presidential jets, including a recently acquired Airbus A330, following a prolonged legal dispute between a sub-national entity and the Chinese firm Zhongshan Fucheng Industrial Investment Co. Ltd, according to a report by Premium Times.
The seized aircraft—a Dassault Falcon 7X, a Boeing 737, and the Airbus A330 valued at over $100 million—were either part of the Nigerian presidential fleet or had been newly purchased by the government.
The Dassault Falcon 7X was undergoing maintenance at Paris-Le Bourget airport, while the Boeing 737 and Airbus A330 were at Basel-Mulhouse International Airport for similar services.
The legal dispute traces back to 2016, when the Ogun State government revoked Zhongshan’s contract to manage an export processing zone.
Despite an arbitral tribunal, chaired by a former UK Supreme Court President, ruling in Zhongshan’s favor and awarding them €74,459,221 in compensation, the Nigerian government has yet to fulfill the payment.
In response, Zhongshan sought enforcement of the arbitral award through the French courts.
The enforcement judge at the Paris Judicial Court authorized the seizure of the aircraft, stating, “This protective seizure will take place to secure and preserve the claim arising from the arbitration award dated 26 March 2021, made by an ad hoc arbitral tribunal.”
The court further ordered the aircraft to be secured in a manner that prevents their movement, ensuring they cannot take off autonomously.
Attempts to get a response from the Nigerian government were met with limited success.
A presidential media aide directed inquiries to the Minister of Aviation, Festus Keyamo, who has yet to comment on the incident.
Efforts to reach the Attorney-General of the Federation, Lateef Fagbemi, were also unsuccessful as of press time.
The report also notes that Zhongshan has taken similar legal actions in the United Kingdom, leading to the seizure of Nigerian government-owned buildings in Liverpool under the orders of a UK court, linked to the same unresolved dispute.
