A Chinese company, Zhongshan Fucheng Industrial Investment Ltd, has successfully seized a luxury jet owned by Nigeria in Canada to recover up to $70 million in arbitration awards from the West African nation. The aircraft, a Bombardier 6000 type BD-700-1A10, was officially transferred to Zhongshan following a recent change of custodian paperwork granted by Canadian authorities in Montreal.
This development comes shortly after the same firm confiscated Nigeria’s guest houses in Liverpool, United Kingdom, as part of its asset recovery campaign. The seizure of the aircraft was initiated earlier this year when the Superior Court of Quebec, presided over by Judge David Collier, dismissed Nigeria’s attempts to retain ownership of the plane. The jet, with a tail number M-MYNA and serial number 9471, was originally purchased for $57 million by Dan Etete, a fugitive involved in the controversial OPL 245 oil field sale in 2010.
Nigeria first seized the jet in 2016 and held it in Dubai until it was unexpectedly flown to Canada in May 2020. After securing a court order, Nigeria kept the plane grounded in Montreal until the recent transfer of ownership to Zhongshan.
Zhongshan has now successfully seized multiple Nigerian assets worldwide, including in the UK, France, and Canada, and more seizures are expected in Belgium and the U.S. in the coming weeks.
