A French court has ordered the seizure of three presidential jets linked to the Nigerian government due to a legal dispute with Zhongshan, a Chinese company.
The seizure was due to a business disagreement between Zhongshan and the Ogun State government, according to reports.
It was said that 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.
Reports added that these aircraft are part of Nigeria’s presidential air fleet and are currently undergoing maintenance.
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It was learnt that two of the jets were recently listed for sale, while the Airbus 330, purchased for over $100 million, had not yet been delivered.
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The dispute began in 2016 when the Ogun State government revoked Zhongshan’s contract to manage an export processing zone.
An independent arbitral tribunal, chaired by a former UK Supreme Court President, subsequently awarded Zhongshan $74.5 million in compensation.
However, the Ogun State government has not paid the amount, prompting Zhongshan to seek enforcement against Nigerian assets abroad.
The French court’s order prevents the movement, sale, or purchase of the seized jets until the compensation is paid.
Also, Bailiffs have already served legal papers for each aircraft, marking a great escalation in the legal battle.
Findings revealed that the incident follows a similar case where Nigerian-owned properties in Liverpool, England, were seized by a United Kingdom (UK) court in connection with the same dispute.
Zhongshan obtained charging orders against two properties in Liverpool, valued between £1.3 million and £1.7 million.
Meanwhile, the Nigerian government has yet to comment on these seizures.
