A French court has seized three Nigerian presidential aircraft, including a recently purchased Airbus A330, amid an ongoing legal battle with Zhongshan Fucheng Industrial Investment Co. Ltd, a Chinese company. The seizure is part of efforts to enforce a €74.5 million arbitration award granted to Zhongshan following a dispute over a revoked contract with the Ogun State government.
The Tribunal Judiciaire de Paris ordered the seizure of the Dassault Falcon 7X, the Boeing 737, and the Airbus A330, all undergoing routine maintenance in France and Switzerland. The court’s decision prevents the Nigerian government from moving or selling the aircraft until the compensation is paid.
The legal conflict dates back to 2015 when the Ogun State government terminated Zhongshan’s contract to manage a free-trade zone. An international arbitral tribunal ruled in favor of Zhongshan in 2021, but the Nigerian government has not fulfilled the compensation order. In response, Zhongshan sought enforcement through various international courts, leading to the recent seizure in France and the confiscation of Nigerian government-owned properties in the UK.
The Nigerian government has yet to provide an official response, with efforts to contact key officials yielding limited information. A presidential spokesperson stated that the dispute is between Zhongshan and the Ogun State government, distancing the federal government from direct responsibility in the matter.
As the situation unfolds, the seized aircraft remain grounded, reflecting the escalating tension between Nigeria and the Chinese firm over the unresolved arbitration award.
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