Nigerian presidential jets: Why one Paris court order seizure of aircrafts and assets of Nigeria for France? - BBC News Pidgin (2024)

Di federal govment of Nigeria say dem no get any contract obligation wit one Chinese company wey make court for Paris to seize Nigeria goment presidential jets and oda assets wey dey France.

According to di presidency, di case na between one Chinese company, Zhongshan Fucheng Industrial Investment Co. Limited and di Ogun state goment.

Dis reply dey come afta di Chinese company bin attach di aircrafts as part of assets wey one court for Paris bin ask dem to takeover sake of di contract fallout between di two parties (Zhongshan and Ogun state)

According to Bayo Onanuga wey be special adviser to di president on information and strategy, e say di Chinese company dey try use ways wey no dey acceptable to collect assets of Nigeria wey dey abroad through mago-mago means.

“Di federal govment no dey under any contract obligation wit di company. Di case wey Zhongshan dey try use every unacceptable means to collect our offshore assets na between di company and di Ogun state govment,” di president adviser tok for im statement.

Federal govment say dem dey fully aware of efforts wey di Ogun state govment dey make to solve di matter for peaceful manner.

How di matter between Ogun state and Zhongshan Fucheng begin

According to di presidency on how di matter take start, dem say na case of contract to manage a free-trade zone bin cause di gbege wey make di Chinese company wan seize Nigeria goment aircrafts.

“One contract between Ogun state and Zhongshan to manage a free-trade zone dey executed for 2007. Di parties bin enta disagreement for 2015, and dem begin try settle di gbege for 2016.

“By 2019, di hearing for di settlement hearing don dey concluded. Di Arbitral Panel bin award ova 60 million USD against di federal govment of Nigeria (FGN), wey be co-defendant, wen di only tins wey Zhongshan don do na to build a perimeter fence around di free-trade zone.

“Sake of legal advice, di Ogun state govment bin reject di enforcement of di award. Di refusal not to agree wit di enforcement dey successful for eight different legal decisions. E get some appeals wey dey wait for decision against di recognition orders wey dem issue for both di US and UK.

“Ogun State bin also engage Zhongshan for settlement discussions for reasonable terms. Di last meeting bin happun for September 2023 for London and e last for three days and several officials of Ogun state attend am, including Governor Dapo Abiodun and di Attorney General/Minister of Justice, Prince Lateef fa*gbemi.

“Zhongshan bin first dey ready to consider di offer of Ogun state but dem reverse am by di second day wen dem insist say govment need to pay di full settlement debt. Dis bin lead to breakdown of di reconciliation as both parties bin agree to meet again for di first quarter of dis year (2024).

“Since dat time, Zhongshan don dey run comot and instead, dem embark on different enforcement proceedings wey di legal team appointed by di FGN and Ogun state no dey in support of. For cases wey dey similar to di present one wia Zhongshan bin get an ex-parte order, Ogun state successfully set aside di orders.

“Ogun state neva give up on a reasonable settlement option wia di most recent letter wey dem send give Zhongshan na last week. Zhongshan bin only respond afta dem get dis latest illegal order.”

Dis na according to how di presidency say di matter bin start between Ogun state and di Chinese govment.

Presidency tok wetin dey happun for di case?

Di presidency say Chinese company Zhongshan no get any ground to ask for compensation from di Ogun state govnment sake of di facts wey concern di 2007 contract between di company and di state govment to manage a free-trade zone.

Part of di assets wey di Chinese company bin attach to settlement na di aircrafts of Nigeria.

Di presidency say part of di failed moves by di Chinese company na to attach Nigerian govment-owned assets inside foreign legal decisions.

“We dey convinced say di Chinese company bin mislead di Judicial Court of Paris regarding di use and nature of di assets wey e dey to attach and dem no fully disclose to di court as required by law.

“Zhongshan bin withhold vital information and mislead di Judicial Court for Paris into attaching di Nigerian govment presidential jets wey dey on routine maintenance for France.”

Onanuga add say di use and nature of di presidential jets as assets of a Sovereign entity wey dia assets dey protected by diplomatic immunity no allow make any foreign court issue order against dem.

“Dis same Chinese company don try to enforce dia questionable judgment for di UK and USA but dem fail,” Onanuga tok for di statement.

How Ogun state react to di matter

Di Ogun state govment don issue dia own reply to di seizure of di presidential jets as part of assets wey di Chinese company attach for di foreign legal matter.

Through Hon. Kayode Akinmade wey be di Special Adviser on media and strategy to di govnor, Ogun state govment say Zhongshan go get court orders without notice to di federal govment of Nigeria, Ogun State or dia legal counsel.

"Ogun State also learn of two orders of di Judicial Court of Paris dated 7 March 2024 and 12 August 2024 respectively, both obtained by Zhongshan without notice being duly given to di Federal Government or Nigeria, Ogun State or dia legal counsel. This na di latest in a series of ill-advised attempts by Zhongshan to attach Nigerian-owned assets in foreign jurisdictions, none of which wey don to date lead to di recovery of any sums from Nigeria.

Each of di three aircrafts dey used solely for sovereign purposes and as such, dem no fit dey attached under international and French law. Zhongshan bin deliberately withhold information from di Federal Government of Nigeria, Ogun State and dia legal counsel." Di statement from Ogun state goment tok.

Ogun state say dem dey work wit di federal goment to do reasonable settlement option.

Di Chinese company neva comment on di claims made by di Nigerian govment.