Nigeria’s Presidency has accused Zhongshan Fucheng Industrial Investment Co. Limited, a Chinese company, of fraudulently misleading a Paris court to seize Nigerian assets protected by diplomatic immunity. The dispute centers around the recent seizure of three Nigerian aircraft, a move the Presidency vehemently rebuts, asserting that the jets are sovereign assets and cannot be legally confiscated by foreign courts.
Bayo Onanuga, Special Adviser to the President on Information and Strategy, emphasized that there is no contractual obligation between the Federal Government and Zhongshan. He clarified that the legal dispute concerns Zhongshan and the Ogun State Government, not the Federal Government. According to Onanuga, Zhongshan misled the Judicial Court of Paris, which led to the wrongful attachment of the Nigerian government’s presidential jets currently undergoing routine maintenance in France.
Onanuga further alleged that Zhongshan withheld crucial information from the Paris court, presenting a misleading narrative about the assets it sought to seize. He noted that the Chinese company had previously failed in its attempts to enforce its questionable judgment in the UK and the USA.
The Presidency is aware of Zhongshan’s ongoing efforts to take over offshore assets of the Nigerian government through deceptive means. Onanuga stressed that the Federal Government has no contractual ties with Zhongshan and that the company’s attempts to seize Nigerian assets stem from its dispute with the Ogun State Government.
Ogun State, he added, has been working towards an amicable resolution of the matter, and Zhongshan’s claim for restitution lacks merit based on the facts surrounding the 2007 contract, which was revoked in 2015.
Onanuga revealed that Zhongshan obtained two court orders from the Judicial Court of Paris, dated March 7, 2024, and August 12, 2024, without proper notification to the Federal Government or Ogun State. He likened the situation to the infamous P&ID case, where fraudulent entities attempted to defraud African governments.
While the Attorney-General of the Federation and Ogun State continue to work on a resolution, the Nigerian government is determined to contest the court orders and protect its assets from fraudulent claims. The Presidency reassured Nigerians that it is actively collaborating with Ogun State to safeguard national interests.
The aircraft seized include a newly acquired Airbus A330, a Dassault Falcon 7X, and a Boeing 737, all of which were part of the Nigerian presidential fleet. The seizure occurred while these planes were undergoing maintenance in France. The situation remains fluid, with ongoing efforts to resolve the dispute and secure the release of the assets.
Madukwe B. Nwabuisi is an accomplished journalist renown for his fearless reporting style and extensive expertise in the field. He is an investigative journalist, who has established himself as a kamikaze reporter.
Leave a Comment