AGF Reveals Plan To Recover Seized Presidential Jets

The Tinubu-led Federal government has initiated legal and diplomatic actions to overturn the interim orders leading to the seizure of three Nigerian presidential aircraft in France.

These steps are being coordinated by the Offices of the National Security Adviser (NSA) and the Attorney-General of the Federation (AGF), according to a statement released by Kamarudeen Ogundele, spokesperson for AGF, Lateef Fagbemi.

The Federal Government became aware of the temporary attachment of the jets on Wednesday, August 14, 2024.

The orders, which were issued by the Judicial Court of Paris on March 7 and August 12, 2024, were secured by Zhongshan Fucheng Industrial Investment Co. Limited, a Chinese company seeking to enforce an arbitral award granted in its favor on March 26, 2021.

The dispute stems from a contractual disagreement between Zhongshan and the Ogun State Government over the operation and management of the Ogun Guangdong Free Trade Zone.

Despite the dispute originating at the subnational level, the enforcement actions are being directed against the Federal Government, as international law holds that actions of subnational entities are attributable to the state.

In its statement, the Federal Government clarified that the jets in question are sovereign assets, used solely for official purposes, and thus immune from attachment.

“Further actions are being taken to resolve the entire dispute through available legal means,” the statement read, emphasizing Nigeria’s firm position on the immunity of its sovereign assets.

The seized aircraft include a Dassault Falcon 7X stationed at Le Bourget airport in Paris, a Boeing 737, and an Airbus A330 located at Basel-Mulhouse airport in Switzerland.

All three jets were undergoing routine maintenance at the time of the seizure.