Obasempire reports that a French court has authorized the confiscation of three presidential jets associated with the Federal Government of Nigeria as part of a legal conflict involving Zhongshan, a Chinese firm.
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The dispute originated from a business conflict with the Ogun State government, prompting this major legal action.
The three confiscated jets consist of a Dassault Falcon 7X at Le Bourget airport in Paris, a Boeing 737, and an Airbus 330 located at Basel-Mulhouse airport in Switzerland.
All three aircraft are part of Nigeria’s presidential air fleet and are currently undergoing maintenance.
Two of the jets were recently listed for sale, while the Airbus 330 was bought by Nigeria but had not yet been delivered. The Nigerian government reportedly paid over $100 million for the Airbus.
The seizure is a result of a 2016 decision by the Ogun State government to cancel Zhongshan’s export processing zone management contract.
Following this cancellation, an independent arbitration tribunal, led by a former UK Supreme Court President, awarded Zhongshan $74.5 million in damages.
However, the Ogun State government has yet to fulfill the award, prompting Zhongshan to seek enforcement against Nigerian assets abroad.
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The French court’s order prohibits the movement, sale, or purchase of the seized jets until the $74.5 million compensation is settled to Zhongshan.
Bailiffs have already served legal notices for each aircraft, marking a significant escalation in the ongoing legal dispute.
Zhongshan has secured charging orders against two properties in Liverpool—15 Aigburth Hall Road and Beech Lodge, 49 Calderstones Road—which are valued between £1.3 million and £1.7 million.
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