Zhongshan, the Chinese firm that secured a court order to confiscate three Nigerian presidential jets has released one of the aircraft.
This is to allow President Bola Tinubu travel to a scheduled meeting with President Macron of France early next week.
The company, however, did not say when the two remaining aircraft being detained would be released.
PREMIUM TIMES reported a spokesperson for the company to have said on Friday afternoon “Zhongshan has consistently sought to act reasonably and fairly in the course of a legal dispute with Nigeria which was not of its making.”
“It (Zhongshan) has now been made aware that an Airbus A330, currently detained in France as a result of a French court order obtained by Zhongshan, is needed for the President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria to travel to a scheduled meeting with President Macron of France early next week.
As a gesture of goodwill, Zhongshan lifted the seizure of that aircraft immediately.
This will allow it to be used for the President’s trip.“Zhongshan remains committed to talks with representatives of the Federal Government of Nigeria, this time serious and substantive on both sides, to reach a reasonable compromise settlement rapidly.”