FG knocks Chinese firm for seizing presidential jets, offshore assets through France Court

The Federal Government of Nigeria has condemned in strong terms a Court ruling obtained by a Chinese firm, Zhongshan Fucheng Industrial Investment Co. Limited in Paris to seize and take over presidential jets and other offshore assets belonging to Nigerian government.

In a statement which was issued by the Presidential Spokesman, Bayo Onanuga and obtained by CAPITAL POST on Thursday in Abuja, he said, the Chinese firm has miscalculated the whole transactions that led to the impasse and is seeking a fraudulent claim against the Nigerian government.

Bayo in the statement likened the Chinese firm claim to that of the PI&D case in the UK, stressing that the firm will fail at the end of the day.

He said, the case was against Zhongshan Fucheng Ltd and the Ogun State government regarding a 2007 contract between the company and the state government to manage a free-trade zone and not the FG, wondering how a dispute which has been resolved through Nigeria’s judicial instruments is now been re-awakened in Paris with Zhongshan engaging in “unorthodox” means to strip Nigeria off its assets overseas through subterfuge.

Onanuga said Zhongshan obtained two orders from the Judicial Court of Paris dated March 7, 2024, and August 12, 2024, without any notice being duly served on the Federal Government of Nigeria and Ogun State Government.

“The material facts in the transaction between the Ogun State Government and Zhongshan point to another P&ID case in which unscrupulous and questionable individuals falsely present themselves as investors with the sole objective of undercutting and scamming Governments in Africa,” he said.

He claimed the firm was misleading the court.

“Undoubtedly, Zhongshan withheld vital information and misled the Judicial Court in Paris into attaching the Nigerian government’s presidential jets, which are on routine maintenance in France. The use and nature of the Presidential jets as assets of a Sovereign entity whose assets are protected by diplomatic immunity forbid any foreign Court from issuing an order against them.

“We are convinced the Chinese company misled the Judicial Court of Paris regarding the use and nature of the assets it seeks to attach and did not fully disclose to the court as required by law.

“This same Chinese company had tried to enforce its questionable judgment in the UK and USA but failed.”.