Attorney General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Prince Lateef Fagbemi, SAN, has clarified the circumstances surrounding the seizure of three Presidential Aircraft belonging to the Federal Republic of Nigeria, in France.
The Nigerian authorities gave the explanations in a statement by the Special Adviser to the President on Communication and Publicity, office of the Attorney General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Kamarudeen Ogundele.
The statement noted that the Federal Government of Nigeria on August 14, 2024 became aware of the temporary attachment of three Presidential Aircrafts undergoing maintenance in France, and that the attachment was made pursuant to Exparte orders issued by the Judicial Court of Paris in favor of Zhongshan Fucheng Industrial Investment Co. Limited, a Chinese company.
According to the statement, the company is seeking to enforce an arbitral award granted in its favor on March 26, 2021, against Ogun State Government over a contractual dispute.
The statement also notes that the Federal Government has clarified that although the dispute originated from Ogun State Government’s engagements, the enforcement actions are being directed against the Federal Government and its assets due to international law principles.
It said that the Offices of the National Security Adviser and the Attorney-General of the Federation are taking legal and diplomatic steps to discharge the Court orders and resolve the dispute, as the Federal Government maintains that the Aircrafts are sovereign assets used solely for sovereign purposes and are immune from attachments.
Editor: Ken Eseni
