The management of Zhongshan Fucheng Industrial Investment Company Limited, a Chinese firm, has accused the Nigerian police of unlawfully detaining and brutalizing its senior officials during a contract dispute with the Ogun State Government.
According to the company, this mistreatment prompted them to seek the seizure of Nigerian assets abroad.
On Thursday, news broke that a French court had ordered the seizure of three of Nigeria’s presidential jets. Among the seized aircraft were a Dassault Falcon 7X, a Boeing 737, and an Airbus 330, the latter yet to be delivered to Nigeria.
The planes, which were undergoing maintenance, were seized following ex parte orders issued by a Paris judicial court on March 7 and August 12, 2024.
This legal action stemmed from a dispute initiated by Zhongshan against the Federal Government of Nigeria and the Ogun State Government after the latter terminated a contractual agreement. Following this, an arbitral tribunal awarded Zhongshan approximately $74.5 million in compensation, a ruling the state government allegedly ignored.
Subsequently, the company sought recourse through the French court, leading to the seizure of the Federal Government’s jets, including a Dassault Falcon 7X at Le Bourget Airport in Paris, a Boeing 737, and an Airbus 330 at Basel-Mulhouse Airport in Switzerland. The Nigerian government is reported to have paid over $100 million for the Airbus.
Reports suggest that Zhongshan rejected all settlement proposals from the Ogun State Government, citing the alleged assault on its officials as the reason.
In its submission to the French court, Zhongshan detailed that its management team in Nigeria faced physical assault and threats. The company claimed that the Ogun State Government employed the police to carry out these actions after revoking the firm’s export processing zone management contract.
Zhongshan’s personnel, including the Chief Financial Officer of its subsidiary Zhongfu Nigeria Ltd., Mr. Wenxiao Zhao, were allegedly subjected to verbal and physical abuse by the police on orders from the state government.
In its legal filing through solicitors Withers LLP and Radix Legal & Consulting Limited, Zhongshan claimed it suffered losses amounting to $1.078 billion due to the contract’s termination.
The company further alleged that the then Secretary to the Ogun State Government, directly threatened Zhongfu Nigeria’s CEO, Dr. Jianxin Han, warning him to leave peacefully to avoid forceful removal, complications, and possible prosecution.
The police allegedly arrested Mr. Zhao, detained him without explanation, and physically assaulted him before releasing him without charge after a week in two different jails.
The company stated, “The draconian actions of the Nigerian authorities included the (then) Secretary to the Ogun State Government vdirectly threatening Zhongfu Nigeria’s Chief Executive Officer, Dr Jianxin Han, to leave peacefully when there is an opportunity to do so, and avoid forceful removal, complications, and possible prosecution.
“As if this treatment were not appalling enough, the Nigerian authorities followed through on their threats of physical harm to the claimant’s management team in Nigeria. The police arrested the Chief Financial Officer of Zhongfu Nigeria, Mr Wenxiao Zhao, detained him without basis or explanation in terrible conditions, and physically beat him on two occasions before releasing him—without any charge—after a week in two jails.”
Recounting his ordeal in police custody, Zhao said, “One police officer in uniform came over to me and slapped me twice on the face. Then the police officers who brought me there took me to a room where they asked me to sign a piece of paper.
“They did not say or explain what this paper was or what it said. I refused to sign the piece of paper. The police officers then took my flip-flops and placed me in a courtyard with a number of cells surrounding it. It was dark and cold, and I was standing at the gate to one of the cells.
“Another prisoner came out of that cell and asked why I was taken. I did not speak. There were also some other people who had been brought to the courtyard, and the prisoner told us to stand side by side and asked whether we had money and why we were there. If someone had no money, he would slap them.
“Then the prisoner took me aside and asked me to speak. He said that if I did not speak, he would beat me with a club. Later, a second prisoner took me aside and told me not to be afraid. However, the first prisoner came back and threatened me with a club and asked me to speak, which I did not do.
“On what I think was the third day in the Abuja police station, a lot of people were brought into the office. The police officers moved me to another office. The police officer then approached me asking what happened. I did not respond, and he hit me twice, first on the neck and the second time on the head with a fist. It was painful, and I felt numb.
“Fearing for their safety, Zhongfu Nigeria’s management team was forced to leave Nigeria. Zhongfu Nigeria tried to take preventive legal steps in the Nigerian courts to preserve their rights, but the Ogun State Government, NEPZA, and the police orchestrated the complete evisceration of the claimant’s investment in Nigeria.”
When contacted for comment, the Special Adviser to the Ogun State Governor on Media and Strategy, Kayode Akinmade, stated that the current administration was unaware of the Chinese firm’s allegations, as the incident occurred over three years before Governor Dapo Abiodun’s administration.
Akinmade remarked, “We don’t know what happened at that time. However, we are committed to ensuring that our people are not defrauded through fraudulent judgments.”
Meanwhile, the Ogun State Police Public Relations Officer, Omolola Odutola, denied any police involvement in the matter, stating, “It is not a police issue; we are not involved.”
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