Why did a French Court seize Nigeria’s Presidential Jets?

A French court has allegedly seized three presidential jets linked to the Nigerian government in a legal dispute involving Zhongshan, a Chinese company. 

The dispute originated from a business conflict between Zhongshan and the Ogun State government, according to sources who spoke to Premium Times.

The three jets involved are part of Nigeria’s presidential air fleet. They include a Dassault Falcon 7X located at Le Bourget airport in Paris, a Boeing 737, and an Airbus 330 located at Basel-Mulhouse airport in Switzerland. 

These aircraft were undergoing maintenance at the time of the seizure. Notably, two of the jets had recently been put up for sale, while the Airbus 330 was purchased by Nigeria but had not yet been delivered. Reports suggest that the Nigerian government paid over $100 million for the Airbus.

The legal action stems from a decision made in 2016 by the Ogun State government to cancel Zhongshan’s contract to manage an export processing zone.

In response, an independent arbitral tribunal, chaired by a former UK Supreme Court President, ruled in favor of Zhongshan, awarding the company $74.5 million in compensation.

Despite this ruling, the Ogun State government has not paid the compensation, leading Zhongshan to pursue enforcement against Nigerian assets abroad.

The French court’s order prevents the movement, sale, or purchase of the seized jets until the $74.5 million is paid to Zhongshan. Legal papers have been served for each aircraft, signaling an escalation in the ongoing dispute.