A French court has ordered the seizure of three jets from Nigeria’s presidential fleet due to a contractual dispute between the Ogun State government and Zhongshan, a Chinese company Continue reading…
The seized aircraft include a Dassault Falcon 7X located at Le Bourget Airport in Paris, a Boeing 737, and an undelivered Airbus 330 at Basel-Mulhouse Airport in Switzerland.
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The dispute originated when the Ogun State government terminated Zhongshan’s management contract for an export processing zone in 2016, leading to a legal conflict. An independent arbitral tribunal, led by a former President of the UK Supreme Court, awarded $74.5 million to Zhongshan. However, the Ogun State government has not fulfilled this payment, resulting in the court’s decision to seize the jets. Continue reading…
The seizure prevents the movement, sale, or purchase of the aircraft until the Chinese company is compensated. Bailiffs have already served the necessary papers, and the Nigerian government has not yet responded to the situation.
This legal action follows the recent confiscation of Nigerian-owned properties in Liverpool, England, related to the same dispute. Zhongshan obtained charging orders against properties valued between £1.3 million and £1.7 million.
The conflict dates back to 2010 when Zhongshan’s parent company, Zhuhai Zhongfu Industrial Group Co Ltd, and the Ogun Guangdong Free Trade Zone (OGFTZ) entered into an agreement to develop Fucheng Industrial Park within the zone.
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