French Court Seizes Three Nigerian Presidential Jets Over Dispute With Chinese Firm
A French court has authorized the seizure of three presidential jets linked to the Federal Government of Nigeria as part of a legal battle involving Zhongshan, a Chinese company.
The company had a business dispute with the Ogun State government, which led to this significant legal action, sources familiar with the matter have told Premium Times.
The three seized jets include a Dassault Falcon 7X at Le Bourget airport in Paris, a Boeing 737, and an Airbus 330 located at Basel-Mulhouse airport in Switzerland.
All three aircraft are part of Nigeria’s presidential air fleet and are currently undergoing maintenance.
Two of the jets were recently put up for sale, while the Airbus 330 was purchased by Nigeria but had not yet been delivered. The Nigerian government reportedly paid over $100 million for the Airbus.
The seizure stems from a 2016 decision by the Ogun State government to revoke Zhongshan’s export processing zone management contract.
Following this revocation, an independent arbitral tribunal, chaired by a former UK Supreme Court President, awarded Zhongshan $74.5 million in compensation.
However, the Ogun State government has yet to honor the award, leading Zhongshan to seek enforcement against Nigerian assets abroad.
The French court’s order prohibits the movement, sale, or purchase of the seized jets until the $74.5 million compensation is paid to Zhongshan.
Bailiffs have already served legal papers for each aircraft, signaling a significant escalation in the ongoing legal dispute.
This development follows a similar incident in which Nigerian-owned properties in Liverpool, England, were seized by a UK court in connection with the same dispute.
Zhongshan secured charging orders against two properties in Liverpool—15 Aigburth Hall Road and Beech Lodge, 49 Calderstones Road—which are estimated to be worth between £1.3 million and £1.7 million.
Meanwhile, the Presidency has accused the company of misleading the court.
According to Bayo Onanuga, Special Adviser to the President on Information and Strategy, Nigeria’s Attorney-General and Minister of Justice, is working with Ogun government to quash the case.
“The Presidency is aware of the various failed attempts by a Chinese company, Zhongshan Fucheng Industrial Investment Co. Limited, to take over offshore assets of the Federal Government of Nigeria through subterfuge.
“The Federal Government is not under any contractual obligation with the company. The case in which Zhongshan is trying to use every unorthodox means to strip our offshore assets is between the company and the Ogun State Government.
“The Federal Government is fully aware of efforts being made by the Ogun State Government to reach an amicable resolution on the matter.
“It must be said without any equivocation that Zhongshan has no solid ground to demand restitution from the Ogun State Government based on the facts regarding the 2007 contract between the company and the State Government to manage a free-trade zone.
“When the contract with Ogun State was revoked in 2015, the company had only erected a perimeter fence on the land earmarked for a free trade zone. While the Attorney-General of the Federation and Minister of Justice is working with the Ogun State Government on an amicable resolution, Zhongshan obtained two orders from the Judicial Court of Paris dated March 7, 2024, and August 12, 2024, without any notice being duly served on the Federal Government of Nigeria and Ogun State Government.
“This arm-twisting tactic by the Chinese company is the latest in a long list of failed moves to attach Nigerian government-owned assets in foreign jurisdictions.
“The material facts in the transaction between the Ogun State Government and Zhongshan point to another P&ID case in which unscrupulous and questionable individuals falsely present themselves as investors with the sole objective of undercutting and scamming Governments in Africa.
“Undoubtedly, Zhongshan withheld vital information and misled the Judicial Court in Paris into attaching the Nigerian government’s presidential jets, which are on routine maintenance in France. The use and nature of the Presidential jets as assets of a Sovereign entity whose assets are protected by diplomatic immunity forbid any foreign Court from issuing an order against them.
“We are convinced the Chinese company misled the Judicial Court of Paris regarding the use and nature of the assets it seeks to attach and did not fully disclose to the court as required by law.
“This same Chinese company had tried to enforce its questionable judgment in the UK and USA but failed.
“We want to assure Nigerians that the Federal Government is working with the Ogun State Government to discharge this frivolous order in Paris immediately.”
