Nigeria initiates steps to reclaim three presidential jets seized in France, aiming to resolve the international dispute.
On Thursday, the Nigerian government announced that it has initiated diplomatic and legal measures to repossess three presidential planes detained in France due to unpaid debts.
Currently, the Office of the National Security Adviser (NSA) and the Office of Attorney General of Federation (AGF) are exploring diplomatic and legal methods.
On Thursday in Abuja, the AGF reiterated that the Ogun State Government’s contractual arrangement with a Chinese company resulted in the debt leading to confiscation of the presidential aircraft.
The statement indicated that on August 14th, 2024 the Nigerian Federal Government was informed about three presidential aircraft undergoing regular maintenance in France being temporarily seized.
The temporary attachment in question was executed according to ex-parte orders issued by the Paris Judicial Court on March 7, 2024 and August 12, 2024.
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At the behest of Zhongshan Fucheng Industrial Investment Co. Limited, a Chinese company desiring to enforce its Final Award from 26 March 2021, against an Ogun State sub-national in Nigeria, the orders were issued.
The arbitrative ruling resulted from a contractual disagreement between the Chinese enterprise and Ogun State Government regarding the administration of Ogun Guangdong Free Trade Zone, originating in arbitration proceedings that began in 2018.
Although the conflict originated from interactions with the Ogun State Government, it is important to note that any enforcement measures being taken are aimed at the Federal Government and its resources.
This aligns with established international legal principles which assert that actions of a lower level jurisdiction or area can be attributed to their parent country or state. Our aim is simply clarification on this matter.
The National Security Adviser and the Attorney-General of the Federation have initiated legal and diplomatic measures to guarantee that the unjustified rulings against sovereign immunity protected aircrafts are revoked.
Although additional measures are being taken to settle the entire disagreement via legal avenues, the unwavering stance of the Federal Government is that Zhongshan’s attempt to seize possession of said aircrafts -which serve solely for sovereign purposes- as they are deemed national assets should be impervious from any form of attachment.
