Zhongshan Fucheng Industrial Investment Co. Limited, a Chinese firm, has decided to release one of Nigeria’s presidential aircraft that had been detained in France.
This decision comes in response to a Paris judicial court order and is intended to facilitate President Bola Tinubu’s upcoming diplomatic visit to France for a meeting with French President Emmanuel Macron.
The company emphasized that the aircraft’s release was a gesture of goodwill, recognizing the importance of President Tinubu’s planned meeting with Macron.
The aircraft, an Airbus A330, had been held in France due to a legal dispute involving Zhongshan and Nigeria, which arose from an arbitral award granted to Zhongshan in 2021 against Ogun State, a region in Nigeria.
Despite this temporary release, Zhongshan remains open to further discussions with the Nigerian government, seeking a prompt and fair resolution to the ongoing legal matter.
The statement reads, “Zhongshan has consistently sought to act reasonably and fairly in the course of a legal dispute with Nigeria which was not of its making.
“It has now been made aware that an Airbus A330, currently detained in France as a result of a French court order obtained by Zhongshan, is needed for the President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria to travel to a scheduled meeting with President Macron of France early next week.
