French Court Seizes Nigerian Presidential Jets Amidst Legal Battle
A French court has seized three aircrafts linked to the Nigerian government, including a newly purchased Airbus A330 valued at over $100 million. The seizure follows a prolonged legal dispute involving Zhongshan Fucheng Industrial Investment Co. Ltd., a Chinese company and the Nigerian government.
The affected aircraft include a Dassault Falcon 7X, a Boeing 737, and the Airbus A330, which had either been part of the Nigerian presidential fleet or were recently acquired by the government. According to reports, the Dassault Falcon 7X was undergoing maintenance at Paris-Le Bourget airport, while the Boeing 737 and Airbus A330 were stationed at Basel-Mulhouse International Airport for similar reasons.
The seizure is rooted in a legal conflict between Zhongshan and the Ogun State government of Nigeria. The dispute began in 2016 when Ogun State revoked Zhongshan’s export processing zone management contract. Despite an arbitral tribunal ruling in favor of Zhongshan and awarding the company €74,459,221 in compensation, the Nigerian government has not honored the decision.
To enforce the arbitration award, Zhongshan pursued legal action in France. The enforcement judge at the Paris Judicial Court granted authority to seize the aircraft, ordering that they be secured to prevent any further movement. The court’s directive includes positioning the aircraft so that their cockpits face walls or buildings to ensure they cannot take off autonomously.
Nigerian Government and Zhongshan Legal Issue in the UK
In a related development, Zhongshan has also sought redress in the United Kingdom, where Nigerian government-owned buildings in Liverpool have been seized under UK court orders as part of the same unresolved dispute.
