A diplomatic row is brewing between Nigeria and China following the order by a French court, authorizing the seizure of three Nigerian presidential jets.
According to Premium Times, The jets, which are part of the Nigerian presidential air fleet, were seized in connection with a long-standing business dispute between the Chinese company Zhongshan and the Ogun State government.
According to reports, Zhongshan had its export processing zone management contract revoked by the Ogun State government in 2016, leading to a protracted legal battle.
An independent arbitral tribunal chaired by the former President of the UK Supreme Court subsequently awarded Zhongshan $74.5 million in compensation.
However, the Ogun State government has yet to honor the award, prompting Zhongshan to seek enforcement through international channels.
The seized jets include a Dassault Falcon 7X at Le Bourget airport in Paris, a Boeing 737, and an Airbus 330 at Basel-Mulhouse airport in Switzerland. The Airbus 330, which was purchased by Nigeria but not yet delivered, is valued at over $100 million.
The court order prohibits the movement, sale, or purchase of the jets until Zhongshan receives the awarded compensation.
This development comes on the heels of the recent seizure of Nigerian-owned buildings in Liverpool, England, by a UK court in relation to the same dispute. The properties, estimated to be worth between £1.3 and £1.7 million, were secured by Zhongshan through charging orders.
More reports show that Ogun State government and Zhongshan have been embroiled in a protracted dispute over the management of an export processing zone in the South-west state.
It was learned that the controversy began on June 29, 2010, when Zhuhai Zhongfu Industrial Group Co Ltd, Zhongshan's parent company, and the Ogun Guangdong Free Trade Zone (OGFTZ) signed a framework agreement to establish Fucheng Industrial Park within the zone. This agreement granted Zhongfu the exclusive right to develop and operate Fucheng Park.
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Meanwhile, Former presidential candidate of the Labour Party, Mr Peter Obi has described the development as an International embarrassment.
Obi in a post on X said the seizure of the presidential jet is a demonstration of Nigeria’s multiple dimensional leadership failure and insensitivity to the plight of the growing poor class in our midst.”
“The Fact that the Federal Government even went ahead with the jet deal despite the cacophonous cry against the purchase of a Presidential jet at this time when the people are going through a horrifying economic hardship shows the insensitivity of this administration. Added to it is the embarrassing aspect of our country’s Presidential jets being held for contractual breaches arising from yet another dimension of inadequate leadership tidiness”, he shared.
