The Nigerian government has commenced diplomatic and legal efforts to recover three presidential aircraft seized in France due to a debt incurred by the Ogun State Government.
The Office of the National Security Adviser and the Office of the Attorney General of the Federation are exploring both diplomatic and legal channels to resolve the issue.
The debt stems from a contractual dispute between Ogun State Government and a Chinese company, Zhongshan Fucheng Industrial Investment Co. Limited, over the operation and management of Ogun Guangdong Free Trade Zone.
The Chinese company obtained a final award in its favor in 2021 and sought to enforce it against the Federal Government and its assets.
The Nigerian government maintains that the aircraft are sovereign assets used solely for sovereign purposes and are therefore immune from attachment.
The government is taking steps to discharge the orders against the aircraft and resolve the dispute through legal means.
