The Federal Government has revealed plans to retrieve two presidential aircraft seized by a Chinese company, Zhongshan Fucheng Industrial Investment Company Ltd., following a dispute with the Ogun State Government over the Ogun Free Trade Zone.
Ministry of Foreign Affairs spokesman Amb. Eche Abu-Ode confirmed on Thursday that efforts were underway to recover the jets, which were seized on the orders of a French court.
The seized aircraft include a Dassault Falcon 7X at Le Bourget airport in Paris and a Boeing 737, while an Airbus 330 at Basel-Mulhouse airport in Switzerland was released last Friday.
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Abu-Ode noted that the Ministry of Foreign Affairs handles sensitive information with caution, stating that certain details are confidential and will not be disclosed until the issue is resolved or the information will not compromise the process.
Giving an update on the issue, Abu-Ode said, “Efforts are being made to retrieve the two aircraft seized. The obstacle you will face with Foreign Affairs is that certain information is confidential and unlike other ministries, we don’t readily address the press until conclusion of an issue or where the information will not jeopardise (the issue).”
The Federal Government’s move to recover the seized jets is a step towards resolving the dispute and restoring Nigeria’s presidential air fleet.