The Nigerian government has initiated both diplomatic and legal measures to recover three presidential jets that were seized in France due to an outstanding debt.
This development was announced on Thursday, August 15, 2024, by the Office of the National Security Adviser (NSA) and the Office of the Attorney General of the Federation (AGF).
The seizure of the aircraft stems from a contractual dispute between the Ogun State Government and Zhongshan Fucheng Industrial Investment Co. Limited, a Chinese company.
The conflict revolves around the management of the Ogun Guangdong Free Trade Zone.
In 2021, the Chinese company secured a final award in its favor, leading to the interim attachment of the jets.
A statement released by the AGF clarified the situation: "On 14th August 2024, the Federal Government of Nigeria became aware of the interim attachment of three presidential aircrafts undergoing routine maintenance in France.
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 behest of Zhongshan Fucheng Industrial Investment Co. Limited, which is seeking to enforce the arbitral award against Ogun State.
The AGF's statement further explained, "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 which holds that the actions of a subnational or local entity are attributable to the State or country itself."
The Nigerian government is actively working to overturn these orders, emphasizing that the jets are sovereign assets used solely for governmental purposes and should be immune from such attachments.
"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," the statement read.
Efforts are also being made to resolve the broader dispute through available legal channels.
This incident shows the complexities involved in international contract enforcement and the protection of sovereign assets.
As the situation unfolds, the Nigerian government remains committed to reclaiming its assets and addressing the underlying contractual issues that led to this predicament.
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