The Nigerian government has alleged that a Chinese company is orchestrating a campaign to seize its overseas assets, including presidential jets, a government spokesperson announced on Thursday.
Zhongshan Fucheng Industrial Investment Co. Ltd. has been accused by Nigerian presidential spokesperson Bayo Onanuga of using “unorthodox tactics” to target Nigerian government assets, including presidential jets, despite lacking any direct contracts with the federal government.
The Chinese company has not yet issued a response. The disagreement originates from a 2007 deal between Zhongshan and Ogun State to develop a free trade zone, which was discontinued in 2015.
When Ogun State revoked the contract in 2015, Zhongshan had only managed to construct a perimeter fence on the designated land for the free trade zone, according to Bayo Onanuga.
He stated that Zhongshan lacks any legitimate basis to seek restitution from the Ogun State Government, given the circumstances surrounding the 2007 contract between the company and the state.
The Nigerian government has denounced Zhongshan Fucheng Industrial Investment Co. Ltd. for misrepresenting facts in legal battles across the UK, US, and France, where the company secured an arbitration award exceeding $60 million.
Nigerian spokesperson Bayo Onanuga revealed that Nigeria has refused to settle this claim.
Onanuga also reported that Zhongshan obtained French court orders in March and August to seize Nigerian assets, including presidential jets under maintenance in France, despite these assets being protected from foreign legal actions.
The Nigerian authoritnies, alongside Ogun State, are working to address the dispute and safeguard the country’s assets.
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