ABUJA, Nigeria — The Nigerian Presidency has firmly denied any links to a luxury yacht spotted in St-Tropez, France, flying the Nigerian flag, following widespread speculation on social media that the vessel belonged to the government.
The online rumours suggested the yacht was being used for vacation purposes, leading to swift clarification from the President’s office.
The controversy gained traction after Chidi Odinkalu, former chairman of the National Human Rights Commission, shared an image of the yacht on X (formerly Twitter), hinting at potential government involvement.
“In St. Tropez, the crested #GreenWhiteGreen flutters aloft the #YachtForTheAges. At home, it is treason to even see it; say so or tell anyone,” Odinkalu wrote.
In St. Tropez, the crested #GreenWhiteGreen flutters aloft the #YachtForTheAges. At home, it is treason to even see it; say so or tell anyone pic.twitter.com/FLhGB5xPAD
— Chidi Odinkalu, CGoF (@ChidiOdinkalu) September 6, 2024
In response to these claims, Otega Ogra, Senior Special Assistant to President Bola Tinubu on Digital and New Media, dismissed the allegations, clarifying that the yacht in question was privately owned and had no connection to the Nigerian government or its officials.
“There have been false claims circulating that a private individual’s yacht was spotted in St. Tropez is a Nigerian government yacht,” Ogra posted on X.
“The 42m Benetti yacht currently being shared online has been privately owned for around 5 years since it was constructed.”
Ogra also explained that the use of national flags by private individuals is not uncommon and should not be misconstrued as government affiliation.
“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 stated.
Further clarifying the issue, Ogra noted that official flags representing the Nigerian government or armed forces have specific features that differ from those flown by private citizens.
“The official Nigerian flag is Green-White-Green without a coat of arms in the middle,” he wrote.
“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.”
DEBUNKING FALSE NEWS:
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:
1. The 42m Bennetti yacht currently being share online has been…
— O’tega Ogra (@otegaogra) September 7, 2024
The statement sought to put an end to the rumours circulating on social media and emphasised that the vessel’s presence in the French coastal town had no ties to Nigeria’s government or any of its officials.
As of now, there has been no further comment from Prof. Odinkalu.
