The Nigerian government has accused a Chinese company, of orchestrating a campaign to seize Nigerian assets abroad, including presidential jets.
The accusation was made public by Bayo Onanuga, a spokesperson for the Nigerian presidency, on Thursday.
According to Onanuga, Zhongshan Fucheng Industrial Investment Co. Ltd., is using “unorthodox means” to target Nigerian government property despite having no direct contractual obligations with the federal government.
The conflict traces back to a 2007 contract between Zhongshan and Nigeria’s Ogun State for the development of a free trade zone. The contract was terminated in 2015, with the Nigerian government claiming that the company had only erected a perimeter fence on the designated land.
Onanuga noted that the Nigerian national government was not involved in the contract and accused Zhongshan of misrepresenting facts in legal proceedings in the UK, the United States, and France.
Despite securing an arbitration award of over $60 million in France, Nigeria has refused to pay, asserting that the assets targeted by Zhongshan, including the presidential jets, are immune from foreign legal actions.
The Nigerian government is now collaborating with Ogun State to resolve the dispute and safeguard its assets from seizure. Zhongshan has not yet responded to requests for comment on the matter.
Report by Fatimah Ibrahim Danjumah