The Attorney General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Lateef Fagbemi, has declared that aircraft in the presidential fleet are sovereign assets used solely for sovereign purposes and are therefore immune from attachment by any entity.
This statement comes after three presidential aircraft undergoing routine maintenance in France were seized pursuant to ex parte orders issued by the Judicial Court of Paris.
Fagbemi stressed that the federal government is exploring both diplomatic and legal means to address the issue. He stated that the Office of the National Security Adviser and the Attorney General of the Federation are working together to ensure the discharge of the orders against the aircraft, which are protected 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 aircrafts in question are sovereign assets used solely for sovereign purposes and are therefore immune from attachment as Zhongshan has sought to do,’’ he said.
The minister’s statement was in response to the seizure of the presidential aircraft due to an alleged debt owed by the Nigerian government. He clarified that the orders were obtained by Zhongshan Industrial Investment Company Limited, a Chinese company seeking to enforce an arbitral award granted in its favour against the Ogun State government.
