Nigeria’s Presidential Jets Seized in France: Government Moves to Recover Sovereign Assets
The Nigerian government is taking legal and diplomatic action to recover three of its presidential jets seized in France over a fine awarded against Ogun State. The Attorney General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Lateef Fagbemi (SAN), has announced that his office and that of the National Security Adviser have commenced steps to ensure the discharge of the inappropriate orders against the aircraft, which are covered by sovereign immunity.
The jets, including a Dassault Falcon 7X, a Boeing 737, and an Airbus 330, were seized following an application by Zhongshan, a Chinese company whose export processing zone management contract was revoked by the Ogun State government in 2016. Zhongshan had dragged the Ogun State government to court, where an independent arbitral tribunal awarded the company about $74.5 million in compensation, which the state government has yet to honour.
The court order prohibited Nigeria from moving or selling the presidential jets until Zhongshan has been paid the $74.5 million from Ogun state. The Nigerian government has reportedly paid over $100 million for the Airbus 330, which has not yet been delivered.
The government’s position is that the aircraft in question are sovereign assets used solely for sovereign purposes and are therefore immune from attachment as Zhongshan has sought to do. The firm intention of the Federal Government is to resolve the entire dispute through available legal means.
The seized presidential jets are currently undergoing maintenance at Le Bourget airport in Paris and Basel-Mulhouse airport in Switzerland. The government is working to resolve the situation and ensure the return of the aircraft to their intended use for official purposes.
