A Chinese investment firm, Zhongshang Fucheng Industrial Investment Ltd, has taken possession of a Bombardier 600 luxury aircraft from Nigeria in Canada, marking the latest in a series of asset seizures targeting the West African nation’s properties abroad.
The luxury jet, originally purchased by Nigerian fugitive Dan Etete for $57 million, was officially handed over to Zhongshang by Canadian authorities in Montreal. The handover follows a Canadian court’s ruling earlier this year that allowed the Chinese firm to seize the aircraft as part of its efforts to enforce arbitration awards against Nigeria, totaling over $70 million.
The Superior Court of Quebec, presided over by Judge David Collier, dismissed Nigeria’s attempts to retain ownership of the aircraft. The court found Nigeria’s argument—that it was unable to respond to the lawsuit due to the February-March 2023 general elections—unconvincing. Additionally, the judge rejected Nigeria’s claim of sovereign immunity, a position that has also been upheld in courts in the United States and the United Kingdom.
The Bombardier 600 jet, capable of seating up to 19 passengers, is one of several assets that Zhongshang has seized from Nigeria in various countries, including the UK and France. The jet, with tail number M-MYNA, was originally confiscated from Etete by Nigerian authorities in 2016 in Dubai. It was later flown to Canada in May 2020, where it remained under Nigerian control until the recent court ruling.
This seizure is part of Zhongshang’s ongoing efforts to recover the arbitration awards related to a failed free trade zone contract in Ogun State. Despite losing legal challenges in multiple countries, Nigeria has consistently denied any wrongdoing and is reportedly engaged in ongoing negotiations with Zhongshang to resolve the dispute.
The Nigerian government, along with Ogun State officials, has yet to make significant progress in these negotiations. A meeting between the parties in London in September 2023 failed to yield any resolution. As a result, further seizures of Nigerian assets in other countries, including Belgium and the U.S., are anticipated in the coming weeks.
A spokesperson for President Bola Tinubu has not commented on the latest developments.
