The federal government has confiscated a private jet owned by a former minister of petroleum, Dan Etete, who is locked in a long drawn battle with the federal government over the controversial $1.1 billion Malabu oil deal.
The Bombardier 6000 jet with tail number M-MYNA was seized soon after it landed at the Montréal-Trudeau International Airport, Canada penultimate Friday.
The seizure was on the strength of the order of a court in the province of Quebec which granted the federal government’s prayers to that effect.
Nigeria’s counsel, Babatunde Johnson, said government had been tracking the movement of the jet for some time.
Until its flight to Canada, it had been grounded in Dubai for four years.
“Our investigators in Dubai then noticed that the jet, having been grounded in Dubai for so long, suddenly did some test flights and even went up to a cruising altitude for a short while.
“It seemed like they were testing whether they could fly somewhere,” Johnson said.
“The jet then took off from Al Maktoum International Airport, Dubai, mid-morning on Friday. We did not know the destination at that point.
“We now suspected that it was being flown to Canada for a major service, pending a possible sale.
“We had just a few hours to get a legal team in place on the ground there in Canada to file the injunction. It was 3 am in Nigeria when I made a statement to the judge via video link.”
The jet was registered in the name of Tibit Ltd, an anonymously owned company incorporated in the British Virgin Islands.
The company was given up till Tuesday, June 9 to oppose the court order.
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