The management of Zhongshan Fucheng Industrial Investment Company Limited, a Chinese firm, has alleged that its top officials were unlawfully detained and brutalized by Nigerian police during a contractual dispute with the Ogun State Government. This alleged mistreatment has reportedly prompted the firm to seek the seizure of Nigerian assets abroad.
On Thursday, news broke that a French court had ordered the seizure of three of Nigeria’s presidential jets, escalating tensions between the Chinese company and the Nigerian government. The aircraft, including a Dassault Falcon 7X, a Boeing 737, and an Airbus 330, were seized as part of ongoing litigation initiated by Zhongshan against the Federal Government of Nigeria and the Ogun State Government, following the termination of a contractual agreement.
The jets, which were undergoing routine maintenance, were seized following ex parte orders issued by the judicial court of Paris on March 7 and August 12, 2024. Zhongshan claims that an arbitral tribunal awarded it $74.5 million in compensation, a ruling the Ogun State Government allegedly failed to honor.
Zhongshan alleges that its personnel, including the Chief Financial Officer of Zhongfu Nigeria Ltd. (a subsidiary of Zhongshan), Mr. Wenxiao Zhao, were subjected to verbal and physical assault by police officers acting on orders from the Ogun State Government. According to the firm, Zhao was detained in “terrible conditions” for a week and physically assaulted multiple times before being released without charge.
Zhongshan further claimed in its statement to the French court that its management team in Nigeria was physically harmed after being threatened by state authorities. The company alleges that the Secretary to the Ogun State Government, Taiwo Adeoluwa, directly threatened Zhongfu Nigeria’s Chief Executive Officer, Dr. Jianxin Han, urging him to leave Nigeria peacefully or face forceful removal and possible prosecution.
Recounting his ordeal, Zhao detailed how police officers coerced him into signing unspecified documents and subjected him to further threats and physical violence from other detainees. He said, “One police officer in uniform came over to me and slapped me twice on the face…Later, a second prisoner took me aside and told me not to be afraid. However, the first prisoner came back and threatened me with a club.”
Fearing for their safety, Zhongfu Nigeria’s management team eventually left Nigeria. The company asserts that its efforts to take legal steps in Nigerian courts were obstructed by state authorities, leading to what it describes as the “complete evisceration” of its investment in Nigeria.
When asked for a response, the Special Adviser to the Ogun State Governor on Media and Strategy, Kayode Akinmade, stated that the current administration, led by Governor Dapo Abiodun, had no knowledge of the claims made by Zhongshan, as the events occurred before the current administration took office. He assured that the government would protect its citizens from any fraudulent judgment.
Ogun State Police Public Relations Officer, Omolola Odutola, also distanced the police from the matter, stating, “It is not a police issue; we are not involved. It doesn’t have anything to do with us.”
The seizure of Nigeria’s presidential jets has drawn criticism, with former Nigerian Ambassador to the Philippines, Yemi Farounbi, describing it as an “avoidable diplomatic embarrassment.” He attributed the situation to the “irresponsibility of some state governments” in entering into poorly-considered agreements with foreign entities.
In a surprising turn of events, Zhongshan lifted the seizure on one of the jets—a detained Airbus A330—allowing it to be used by President Bola Tinubu for a scheduled meeting with French President Emmanuel Macron. A spokesperson for Zhongshan stated, “As a gesture of goodwill, Zhongshan has lifted the seizure of that aircraft immediately.”
