Chinese Firm Releases Seized Presidential Jet Ahead Of Macron Meeting

A Chinese company, Zhongshan Fucheng Industrial Investment Company, has temporarily released one of three Nigerian presidential jets seized in France.

The jets were impounded following a court order granted to the company over a contract dispute with the Ogun State government.

In a statement on Friday, Zhongshan announced the decision to release an Airbus A330, citing a need to facilitate Nigerian President Bola Tinubu’s upcoming meeting with French President Emmanuel Macron.

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The company described the move as a “gesture of goodwill.”

The Chinese firm had previously secured a court order to seize the Airbus A330, along with a Dassault Falcon 7X and a Boeing 737, over a 2016 contract termination by the Ogun State government.

The dispute has escalated into a broader arbitration case against Nigeria, with the African nation facing accusations of reneging on an agreement.

The Nigerian government has initiated legal and diplomatic efforts to address the seizure of the presidential aircraft.