A French court has authorized the seizure of three presidential jets belonging to the Nigerian government as part of a legal battle with Zhongshan, a Chinese company. The dispute stems from a business conflict with the Ogun State government, leading to this significant legal action.
The seized aircraft include a Dassault Falcon 7X at Le Bourget airport in Paris, a Boeing 737, and an Airbus 330 at Basel-Mulhouse airport in Switzerland. These jets are part of Nigeria’s presidential air fleet and were undergoing maintenance at the time of the seizure.
Two of the jets had recently been listed for sale, while the Airbus 330, purchased by Nigeria for over $100 million, had not yet been delivered. The court's order prohibits any movement, sale, or purchase of the seized jets until a $74.5 million compensation is paid to Zhongshan.
This legal action follows a 2016 decision by the Ogun State government to revoke Zhongshan’s export processing zone management contract, which led to an independent arbitral tribunal awarding the Chinese company $74.5 million in compensation. The Ogun State government has not fulfilled the award, prompting Zhongshan to enforce the judgment against Nigerian assets abroad.
In addition to the jets, Zhongshan has also secured charging orders against two Nigerian-owned properties in Liverpool, England, further escalating the dispute.
As of now, the Nigerian government has not commented on the seizures.
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