A French court has ordered the seizure of three Nigerian presidential jets in connection with a legal dispute involving the Chinese company, Zhongshan. The dispute arose from a business conflict with the Ogun State government, leading to this significant legal action.
The seized aircraft include a Dassault Falcon 7X located at Le Bourget airport in Paris, a Boeing 737, and an Airbus 330 at Basel-Mulhouse airport in Switzerland. All three jets are part of Nigeria’s presidential air fleet and were undergoing maintenance at the time of seizure.
The conflict dates back to 2016, when the Ogun State government revoked Zhongshan’s contract for managing an export processing zone. An independent arbitral tribunal later awarded Zhongshan $74.5 million in compensation, but the Ogun State government has yet to pay the amount. In response, Zhongshan pursued enforcement of the award against Nigerian assets abroad, leading to the French court’s decision.
The court’s order prohibits any movement, sale, or purchase of the seized jets until the $74.5 million is paid. This action follows a similar incident in the UK, where Nigerian-owned properties in Liverpool were seized in connection with the same dispute. The Nigerian government has yet to officially comment on these seizures.
