A Chinese firm, Zhongshan Fucheng Industrial Investment Co. Ltd has announced the release of one of the three Nigerian Airbus A330 aircraft detained in France, following a court order obtained from a Paris judicial court.
The firm had secured a court order to confiscate three Nigerian presidential jets pending when Zhongshan receives $74.5 million awarded to it against Nigeria.
However, in a statement issued on Friday, a company spokesperson said the release was a gesture of goodwill, acknowledging that Nigerian President Ahmed Bola Tinubu requires the aircraft for a scheduled meeting with French President Emmanuel Macron.
The statement read: “Zhongshan has consistently acted reasonably and fairly in a legal dispute with Nigeria, which it did not initiate.
“The company has been informed that an Airbus A330, currently detained in France due to a French court order obtained by Zhongshan, is needed by the President of Nigeria for his upcoming meeting with President Macron next week. As a goodwill gesture, Zhongshan has lifted the seizure, allowing the aircraft to be used for the President’s trip.”
The spokesperson added that the company remains committed to negotiations with the Nigerian government, with hopes of reaching a “reasonable compromise swiftly.”
On Thursday, the Special Adviser to the President on Information and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga had said that the federal government in collaboration with the Ogun State government are doing everything to quash the frivolous order obtained by Zhongshan in Paris to seize Nigeria’s presidential jets.
The aircraft, which were undergoing routine maintenance, were detained following ex parte orders issued by the Paris Judicial Court on March 7 and August 12, 2024.
