Nigerian Govt Begins Moves to Reclaim Seized 3 Presidential Jets in France

The Nigerian government has initiated both diplomatic and legal measures to recover three presidential aircraft that were seized in France due to an unpaid debt.

This debt originated from a contractual dispute between the Ogun State Government and Zhongshan Fucheng Industrial Investment Co. Limited, a Chinese company involved in the operation and management of the Ogun Guangdong Free Trade Zone.

In a statement released, the Attorney General of the Federation (AGF) and Minister of Justice explained that the debt led to the interim attachment of the aircraft, which were undergoing routine maintenance in France.

The AGF noted, "The said temporary attachment was made pursuant to ex-parte orders issued by the Judicial Court of Paris dated 7 March 2024 and 12 August 2024 respectively."

The orders were issued at the request of Zhongshan Fucheng Industrial Investment Co. Limited, which is seeking to enforce a final award granted in its favor on March 26, 2021.

This award arose from arbitration proceedings that began in 2018 due to a contractual dispute with the Ogun State Government.

The AGF clarified that although the dispute originated from Ogun State's engagements, the enforcement actions are being directed against the Federal Government and its assets.

"We wish to clarify that, though the dispute originated from engagements of Ogun State Government, however, the consequential enforcement actions are being directed against the Federal Government and its assets in line with extant principles of international law," the statement read.

To address this issue, the Office of the National Security Adviser (NSA) and the AGF have set in motion both legal and diplomatic steps to ensure the discharge of the orders against the aircraft.

The AGF emphasized, "The firm position of the Federal Government remains that the aircrafts in question are sovereign assets used solely for sovereign purposes and are therefore immune from attachment as Zhongshan has sought to do."