The Federal Government has initiated efforts to recover two presidential jets seized by a Chinese company, Zhongshan Fucheng Industrial Investment Company Ltd., following a dispute with the Ogun State Government.
According to Amb. Eche Abu-Ode, spokesman for the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, steps are being taken to retrieve the jets, but certain information remains confidential to avoid jeopardizing the process.
The Attorney-General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Lateef Fagbemi (SAN), has commenced legal and diplomatic moves to recover the aircraft, emphasizing that they are sovereign assets immune from attachment.
Fagbemi’s office stated, “The aircraft in question are sovereign assets used solely for sovereign purposes and are therefore immune from attachment… Further actions are being put in place to resolve the entire dispute through available legal means.”
The seizure arose from a dispute between Zhongshan and the Ogun State Government over the Ogun Free Trade Zone, with an independent arbitral tribunal awarding Zhongshan $74.5m in compensation, which the state government failed to honor.
