Controversy Surrounds French Court’s Order to Seize Nigerian Presidential Jets
In a developing story, Biafra agitator Simon Ekpa has sparked controversy by claiming that the United States government will seize more Nigerian assets, citing a recent French court order that granted a Chinese firm the license to seize three presidential jets belonging to the Nigerian government.
According to reports, Zhongshan Fucheng Industrial Investment Co. Limited, a Chinese company, was granted an order by the French court to seize a Dassault Falcon 7X, an Airbus A330-243, and a Boeing 737-7N6/BBJ, which are all part of the Nigerian government’s fleet. The company, which had a contract to manage an export processing zone in Nigeria’s Ogun State, had its contract revoked by the state government in 2016, leading to the contractual dispute that prompted the French court’s intervention.
In its ruling, the court ordered the seizure of the three jets belonging to the Nigerian government, which has sparked concerns about the implications of the move.
Reacting to the development, Simon Ekpa, known as the Prime Minister of the Biafra Republic Government In-Exile, claimed in a post on his X microblogging account that the United States government may seize more Nigerian assets. Ekpa claimed that he had personally spoken with U.S. officials regarding the seizure of assets and said that if President Bola Tinubu and his government failed to stop asking the Finnish government to extradite him to Nigeria, he would “consult with our ‘friends’ in Washington DC about having more assets seized.”
However, the Chinese firm has released one of the three presidential jets to the Nigerian government, which could indicate a possible compromise or re-evaluation of the situation.
As the controversy surrounding the seizure of the Nigerian jets continues to unfold, it remains to be seen whether Ekpa’s claims of potential U.S. asset seizures will materialize.
