Chinese firm releases one Nigerian Presidential Jet for Tinubu’s Meeting with Macron

The Chinese firm Zhongshan Fucheng Industrial Investment Limited has agreed to release one of the three Nigerian Airbus A330 aircraft currently detained in France.

This decision comes following a court order and is intended to allow President Bola Tinubu to attend a scheduled meeting with French President Emmanuel Macron.

In a statement released on Friday, Zhongshan Fucheng described the release of one of the presidential jets as a goodwill gesture towards the President. The company explained that Nigerian authorities had informed them of the importance of the aircraft for President Tinubu’s upcoming meeting with Macron, emphasizing that the President would not be able to attend without it.

Zhongshan noted that it has consistently aimed to act reasonably and fairly in its legal dispute with Nigeria, which it claims was not of its making. The firm stated, “We have been informed that an Airbus A330, currently detained in France due to a French court order obtained by Zhongshan, is essential for President Tinubu’s travel to the meeting with President Macron. As a gesture of goodwill, we have immediately lifted the seizure of the aircraft to facilitate the President’s trip.”

The company reiterated its commitment to ongoing negotiations with the Nigerian government to reach a fair resolution quickly.

Earlier, the Federal Government had announced that it was pursuing legal action to address the interim detention of the three presidential aircraft in France.