The presidency has refuted claims that a yacht seen flying the Nigerian flag in St-Tropez, a coastal town in France, is linked to the Nigerian government.
Social media had been buzzing with reports alleging that the vessel belonged to the Nigerian government and was being used for vacation purposes.
Otega Ogra, Senior Special Assistant to President Bola Tinubu on Digital and New Media, clarified the situation in a post on X (formerly Twitter). Ogra explained that the yacht in question is privately owned and not affiliated with the Nigerian government.
He stated, “There have been false claims circulating that a private individual’s yacht spotted in St. Tropez is a Nigerian government yacht. Here are some points to consider in order to discern the truth.”
Ogra further elaborated, “The 42m Bennetti yacht currently being shared online has been privately owned for around five years since it was constructed. It is important to note that this specific yacht has no connection or ownership ties to the Nigerian government, president, or armed forces. Any claims or assertions suggesting otherwise are simply not true and inaccurate.”
He also addressed the presence of the Nigerian flag on the yacht, stating, “It is not uncommon for luxury yachts to fly the flag of the owner’s country as well as the flag of the country in which they are registered.”
Ogra pointed out that the flag seen on the yacht differs from the official flag used by the Nigerian government or armed forces. “The official Nigerian flag is Green-White-Green without a coat of arms in the middle. Flags representing the Nigerian President or the Armed Forces do not contain a coat of arms in the center. Placing anything in the center of the flag is a clear deviation,” he concluded.
