In a significant diplomatic development, a Chinese company, Zhongshan Fucheng Industrial Investment Co. Limited, has released one of Nigeria’s seized presidential jets, allowing President Bola Tinubu to attend a key meeting with French President Emmanuel Macron. The jet had been detained as part of an ongoing legal dispute stemming from a $74.5 million judgment awarded to Zhongshan in a French court.
The legal battle involves three Nigerian jets that were seized after Zhongshan won a ruling related to a contractual dispute. Despite the ongoing tensions, the Chinese firm expressed its readiness to engage in talks with the Nigerian government to find a resolution.
Read Also: Nigeria, Equatorial Guinea to Finalize Youth Empowerment Treaty: Minister Bio-Ibrahim
Presidential Adviser Bayo Onanuga clarified that the dispute originated from a 2007 contract between Zhongshan and Ogun State, rather than the federal government. The contract, which was revoked in 2015, led to Zhongshan securing court orders in Paris without prior notice to Nigerian authorities, sparking the current legal stalemate.
The release of the jet ahead of the meeting in France is seen as a positive step toward resolving the broader conflict, while enabling President Tinubu to pursue diplomatic discussions with Macron aimed at improving relations between the two nations.