Presidency disowns yacht found in France with Nigerian flag

The Presidency has distanced itself from a yacht seen flying the Nigerian flag in St. Tropez, a coastal town in France.

A video of the yacht which displayed the Nigerian flag during a vacation in the French town, went viral on social media, sparking reactions from netizens.

Reacting to the viral video, the Senior Special Assistant to President Bola Tinubu on Digital and New Media, Otega Ogra, clarified via his X (formerly Twitter) page on Saturday that the yacht in question belonged to a private individual.

Ogra explained that flags used by the President or the Armed Forces did not feature a coat of arms, stressing that “the official Nigerian flag is Green-White-Green without any additional symbols.”

He wrote, “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 to discern the truth.

“The 42-metre Benetti yacht currently being circulated online has been privately owned for around five years since its construction.

“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 centre. Placing anything in the centre of the flag is a clear deviation.”