A Federal High Court in Abuja has dismissed the criminal case brought forward by the Nigeria Immigration Service’s against Seplat Energy and some of its officers.
All named defendants were completely discharged by the court.
On April 20, the Nigerian Immigration Service (RNS Number : 9385W) withdrew the charge related to Mr. Roger Brown’s immigration status and the Ministry of Interior’s withdrawal of his immigration visa.
In addition, a new separate legal case, Boniface Okezie & 4 ors V. Seplat & 9 ors (Suit No. FHC/ABJ/PET/8/2023), was brought before the Federal High Court in Abuja. The petition as advised by independent legal advisors, was an unlawful duplication of the Petition already before the Federal High Court in Lagos (Suit No. FHC/L/CP/402/2023 – Moses A. Igbrude & 4 ors v. Seplat Energy Plc & 2 ors), where the Court recently vacated the Interim Orders against the chief executive officer and adjourned the case to 16 May 2023 – please refer to the Company’s Announcements of 10 March 2023 and 6 April 2023.)
The new case also included a request to restrain the company from holding its Annual General Meeting on 10 May 2023.
The petitioners’ request for ex parte interim orders preventing the Company from holding its AGM was denied by the Federal High Court. The petition will now be considered on May 31, 2023. As a result, the Company’s AGM will take place on May 10, 2023, as scheduled.
Due to their almost identical wording, these petitions are obviously part of a coordinated effort to harm the Company in response to its efforts to enhance corporate governance by banning related party transactions and implementing other governance initiatives. Seplat Energy vigorously denies all claims made in these petitions.
Ada Peter
