Nigeria’s Presidential Jets: Ekpa Suggests Potential for More Asset Seizures

Amid the controversy over a French court’s order allowing a Chinese firm to seize three presidential jets belonging to the Nigerian government, Biafra agitator Simon Ekpa has claimed that the U.S. government may seize additional Nigerian assets.

Recently, Zhongshan Fucheng Industrial Investment Co. Limited, a Chinese company, obtained a court order to seize a Dassault Falcon 7X, an Airbus A330-243, and a Boeing 737-7N6/BBJ owned by Nigeria. This action followed the revocation of Zhongshan’s export processing zone management contract by the Ogun State Government in 2016, prompting the company to seek legal intervention in France.

In response, Ekpa, who is known as the Prime Minister of the Biafra Republic Government In-Exile, suggested in a post on his X microblogging account that more Nigerian assets could be at risk of seizure by the U.S. He claimed to have spoken with U.S. officials about the possibility and warned that if President Bola Tinubu and his administration continue to request his extradition from Finland, he would consult with “friends” in Washington, D.C., to push for further asset seizures.

Meanwhile, the Chinese firm reported that it released one of the three seized presidential jets back to the Nigerian government on Friday.