Commencing both diplomatic and legal procedures, the Nigerian government announced on Thursday its efforts to recover three presidential aircraft seized in France due to outstanding debts.
The Office of the National Security Adviser (NSA) and the Office of the Attorney General of the Federation, AGF, and Minister of Justice are currently exploring diplomatic and legal avenues.
In a statement released by the AGF in Abuja, it was affirmed that the debt leading to the seizure of the presidential aircraft originated from a contractual agreement between the Ogun State Government and a Chinese company.
According to the statement, “On 14th August 2024, the Federal Government of Nigeria was informed of the temporary confiscation of three presidential aircraft undergoing routine maintenance in France. The seizure was carried out based on ex-parte orders issued by the Judicial Court of Paris on 7 March 2024 and 12 August 2024.”
These orders were granted following a claim by Zhongshan Fucheng Industrial Investment Co. Limited, a Chinese company, in pursuit of enforcing a Final Award issued in its favor on 26 March 2021 against Ogun State.
The arbitration process, which started in 2018, resulted from a contractual dispute between the Chinese company and the Ogun State Government regarding the management of Ogun Guangdong Free Trade Zone.
Although the dispute originated from engagements of the Ogun State Government, the enforcement actions are targeted at the Federal Government and its assets based on international law principles attributing the actions of local entities to the state or country itself.
The Offices of the National Security Adviser and the Attorney-General of the Federation have initiated legal and diplomatic actions to have the aircraft released, as they are protected by sovereign immunity.
Additional efforts are underway to resolve the dispute through legal means, with the Federal Government maintaining that the aircraft are sovereign assets utilized strictly for national purposes and, therefore, immune from attachment as sought by Zhongshan.