The Chinese firm involved in a legal dispute with Ogun State has released one of the three presidential jets initially seized. The aircraft, an Airbus A330, was detained in France following a French court order obtained by Zhongshan.
The firm cited the necessity for the Nigerian President to use the jet for an upcoming meeting with French President Emmanuel Macron as the reason for the release.
“Zhongshan has consistently sought to act reasonably and fairly in the course of a legal dispute with Nigeria which was not of its making,” a spokesperson for the company stated on Friday, August 16.
The spokesperson emphasized that the decision to release the jet was a gesture of goodwill to facilitate the President’s travel plans.
The release of the aircraft came amid ongoing negotiations between Zhongshan and the Federal Government to resolve the broader dispute.
“Zhongshan remains committed to talks with representatives of the Federal Government of Nigeria, this time serious and substantive on both sides, with a view to reaching a reasonable compromise settlement rapidly,” the spokesperson added.
Despite this development, the company did not provide details on when the two remaining aircraft currently detained will be released.
The legal tussle between Zhongshan and the Federal Government stem from a protracted disagreement over the management of the Ogun Guangdong Free Trade Zone (OGFTZ) in Ogun State.
