Zhongshan Fucheng Industrial Investment Co. Ltd., a Chinese corporation, has decided to release one of the three Airbus A330 aircraft belonging to Nigeria that were held in France.
This move follows a directive from a Paris court.
The company’s decision was announced as a gesture of goodwill, recognizing the necessity of the aircraft for Nigerian President Ahmed Bola Tinubu’s upcoming meeting with French President Emmanuel Macron.
A company representative noted that Zhongshan has acted with fairness in the ongoing legal dispute with Nigeria, which it did not instigate.
The representative explained that the aircraft in question, detained under a French court order secured by Zhongshan, is needed for the Nigerian President’s visit.
As a result, the company has chosen to lift the seizure to facilitate the President’s travel.
Zhongshan emphasized its commitment to continuing discussions with the Nigerian government in hopes of reaching a prompt and fair resolution.
The Nigerian Federal Government has been actively pursuing legal and diplomatic channels to address the interim detention of the aircraft, which was seized following court orders issued on March 7 and August 12, 2024, by the Paris Judicial Court.
Kamarudeen Ogundele, Special Adviser to the President on Communication and Publicity at the Attorney General’s Office, confirmed that both the National Security Adviser and the Attorney General’s Office are working on securing the aircraft’s release through legal and diplomatic efforts.
Ogundele asserted that the aircraft are sovereign assets used solely for official purposes and should be immune from such seizures.
Zhongshan expressed confidence in the arbitral panel’s decision, which was in their favor, and noted that this decision has been upheld by courts in various countries, reinforcing the company’s position.
The spokesperson for Zhongshan emphasized that their actions are in line with international law and that the French court had all necessary information when making its ruling.
