Top Stories

AGF: Presidential jets grounded in France over debt

The Attorney General of the Federation (AGF) and Minister of Justice, Lateef Fagbemi (SAN), has confirmed that presidential jets are grounded in France over an alleged debt owed by the Nigerian government.

Fagbemi said the aircraft on the presidential fleet are sovereign assets used solely for sovereign purposes and are therefore immune from attachment by any entity.

The AGF said this in a statement on Thursday, August 15, 2024.

He noted that this followed an interim attachment of three presidential aircraft undergoing routine maintenance in France made pursuant to exparte orders issued by the Judicial Court of Paris.

Fagbemi stated: “The actions by France it would be recalled was on account of alleged debt owed it by the Nigerian government.

“The office of the National Security Adviser (NSA) and the Attorney General of the Federation (AGF) and Minister of Justice are currently weighing both diplomatic and legal means.

‘Do you want Tinubu dead’: Presidency tackles Obi on new presidential jets

“They have set in motion both legal and diplomatic steps to ensure the discharge of the inappropriate orders against the aircraft, which are covered by sovereign immunity.

“While further actions are being put in place to resolve the entire dispute through available legal means, the firm position of the federal government remains that the aircraft in question are sovereign assets used solely for sovereign purposes and are therefore immune from attachment as Zhongshan has sought to do.”

The AGF revealed that the orders were dated March 7 and August 12, 2024, at the instance of Zhongshan Industrial Investment Company Limited, a Chinese company seeking to enforce a Final Award granted in its favour on March 26, 2024, against the Ogun State Government.

The AGF said the arbitral award arose from an arbitration proceeding commenced in 2018 following a contractual dispute between the Chinese company and the Ogun State Government.

According to him, the claimants said though the dispute originated from engagements of the Ogun State Government, the consequential enforcement actions are being directed against the federal government and its assets.

It claimed that this was in line with extant principles of international which holds that the actions of a substantial or local entity are attributable to the state or country itself.

The Star

Segun Ojo

Recent Posts

#Endbadgovernance protest: Arraigned minors not in prison, says NCoS

The Nigeria Correctional Service (NCoS) says some suspects, including minors, arrested during the #Endbadgovernance protest…

8 mins ago

TCN restores power supply to Gombe-Maiduguri transmission line

The Transmission Company of Nigeria (TCN) has announced the restoration of power supply to the…

10 hours ago

Man electrocuted while attempting to steal transformer cables

A yet-to-be-identified man has been electrocuted while attempting to steal transformer cables belonging to the…

10 hours ago

Police rescue 80-year-old man, other from kidnappers in Ogun

The operatives of the Ogun State Police Command have rescued an 80-year-old man, Rufus Odusanya,…

10 hours ago

Petrol price hike: Don’t make Tinubu look bad before Nigerians, Okupe tells NNPCL

A former presidential spokesman, Dr Doyin Okupe, has urged the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited…

10 hours ago

KWASU partners Chinese companies to establish CNG conversion site

The Kwara State University (KWASU) in the Malete area of Kwara State has announced a…

11 hours ago

This website uses cookies.