A French court has approved the confiscation of three jets from Nigeria’s presidential fleet as a result of a contract disagreement between Zhongshan, a Chinese company, and the Ogun State government.
The confiscated jets include a Dassault Falcon 7X at Le Bourget Airport in Paris, a Boeing 737, and an undelivered Airbus 330 at Basel-Mulhouse Airport in Switzerland.
The disagreement originated from the Ogun State government terminating Zhongshan’s export processing zone management contract in 2016, leading to a legal dispute. After an independent arbitral tribunal, led by a former President of the UK Supreme Court, granted $74.5 million to Zhongshan, the Ogun State government has failed to uphold the decision, resulting in the court’s ruling.
The seizure of the presidential jets prohibits their movement, sale, or purchase until the Chinese company receives its compensation. The bailiffs have already served the necessary documents for the aircraft, and the Nigerian government has not yet issued a response to the situation.
This legal action follows the recent confiscation of Nigerian-owned properties in Liverpool, England, in connection with the same dispute. Zhongshan secured charging orders against properties valued between £1.3 and £1.7 million.
The conflict dates back to 2010 when Zhongshan’s parent company, Zhuhai Zhongfu Industrial Group Co Ltd, and the Ogun Guangdong Free Trade Zone (OGFTZ) signed an agreement to establish Fucheng Industrial Park within the zone.
