The Attorney General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Lateef Fagbemi (SAN), has announced that both his office and the National Security Adviser are actively pursuing legal and diplomatic measures to reclaim three Nigerian presidential aircraft that were recently seized in France. The seizure is linked to a fine awarded against Ogun State by an international arbitral tribunal.
In a statement released on Thursday by Kamarudeen Ogundele, Special Adviser to the President on Communication and Publicity, Fagbemi emphasized that the aircraft are protected by sovereign immunity and should not have been seized.
The statement outlined that “the Offices of the National Security Adviser and the Attorney-General of the Federation have already set in motion both legal and diplomatic steps to ensure the discharge of the inappropriate orders against the aircraft, which are covered by sovereign immunity.”
The seized aircraft include a Dassault Falcon 7X at Le Bourget airport in Paris, a Boeing 737, and an Airbus 330 at Basel-Mulhouse airport in Switzerland. The Airbus 330, purchased by Nigeria but not yet delivered, and the other two jets are currently undergoing maintenance. Nigeria reportedly paid over $100 million for the Airbus 330.
The seizure was authorized by a French court following an application from Zhongshan Fucheng Industrial Investment Co. Ltd, a Chinese company.
Zhongshan’s export processing zone management contract with Ogun State was revoked in 2016, leading the company to seek compensation through legal channels. An arbitral tribunal awarded Zhongshan approximately $74.5 million in compensation, which Ogun State has yet to pay.
The court order prohibits Nigeria from moving or selling the jets until Zhongshan is paid.
The Nigerian government is contending that these aircraft, used exclusively for official state functions, are immune from such claims and is working to resolve the situation through available legal and diplomatic channels.