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Zhongshan, the Chinese firm that secured a court order to confiscate three Nigerian presidential jets, has released one of the aircraft. Zhongshan consistently sought to act reasonably and fairly in the course of a legal dispute with Nigeria which was not of its making, stated its spokesperson. A French court had authorised the seizure of the new presidential jet and two other aircrafts owned by Nigeria.
An Airbus A330, currently detained in France as a result of a French court order obtained by Zhongshan, is needed for the President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria to travel to a scheduled meeting with President Macron of France early next week. As a gesture of goodwill, Zhongshan lifted the seizure of that aircraft immediately. This will allow it to be used for the President’s trip.
Zhongshan says it remains committed to talks with representatives of the Federal Government of Nigeria, this time serious and substantive on both sides, to reach a reasonable compromise settlement rapidly. The company, however, did not say when the two remaining aircraft being detained would be released.
A French court authorised the seizure of three presidential jets linked to the Federal Government of Nigeria. The court order prohibits the jets’ movement, sale, or purchase until Zhongshan receives the awarded $74.5 million. Bailiffs have served papers for each aircraft.
Reacting in a statement, the Special Adviser to the President on Information and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga, described the French court’s order attaching Nigeria’s presidential jets as a result of the arm-twisting tactic by a Chinese company. Onanuga highlighted various efforts the federal government and the Ogun State government had made to resolve the matter. He said the Zhongshan “withheld vital information and misled” the French court in Paris into attaching the Nigerian government’s presidential jets. He said the jets were on routine maintenance in France when the court order was issued.
The use and nature of the Presidential jets as assets of a Sovereign entity whose assets are protected by diplomatic immunity forbid any foreign Court from issuing an order against them,” the statement said.
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The Ogun State government and Zhongshan have been locked in a long-drawn battle over the management of an export processing zone in the South-west state. Zhongfu then launched an investment treaty arbitration against Nigeria, citing the bilateral investment treaty between the People’s Republic of China and Nigeria. On 26 March 2021, an arbitral tribunal issued a final award of USD 55,675,000 in addition to an interest of USD 9.4 million and costs of £2,864,445 payable by Nigeria to Zhongshan.
