KEY POINTS
- The Federal High Court in Port Harcourt froze payments involving the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited over an alleged $117,000 debt dispute with a Chinese firm.
- The case stems from unpaid maritime service charges involving tugboats and cargo transport for industrial equipment within Nigerian waters.
- The court issued a Mareva injunction, freezing assets and ordering banks and NNPC to disclose funds pending the final determination of the case.
The Federal High Court sitting in Port Harcourt, Rivers State, has issued a sweeping injunction restraining the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited, NNPCL, and all commercial banks operating in Nigeria from releasing or transferring any funds linked to a dispute involving Beijing Seajets International Forwarder Company Limited.
The ruling was delivered by Justice Stephen Daylop Pam following an ex parte application filed by Wellman Group Limited, which is claiming an unpaid debt of $117,000 arising from a contractual dispute.
The court ordered that all relevant funds and assets connected to the Chinese firm be frozen pending the determination of the substantive case
According to the plaintiff, Wellman Group Limited, the dispute arose from unpaid charges for maritime services provided between December 8, 2025, and January 27, 2026.
The company alleged that it was contracted to supply tugboats and barges used in transporting heavy industrial cargo within Nigerian territorial waters.
The cargo reportedly included a 340-ton gas turbine and two generators weighing about 300 tons, moved from the Nigerian Ports Authority (Nigerian Ports Authority) facility in Warri to Griniya Jetty, Lokoka, using the plaintiff’s barge MV Dodi Star.
Wellman Group further stated that the outstanding sum represents unpaid hire charges calculated based on daily operational rates for the services rendered.
Court Orders Nationwide Asset Freeze on Defendant
In his ruling, Justice Pam granted a Mareva injunction, a legal measure used to prevent defendants from dissipating assets during ongoing litigation.
The order restrains Beijing Seajets International Forwarder Company Limited, its directors, shareholders, agents, and representatives from withdrawing, transferring, or tampering with any funds or assets held in Nigerian financial institutions.
The court also barred the company from selling or disposing of any movable or immovable assets pending the hearing of the motion on notice.
Additionally, the judge directed that the NNPC and all banks must provide sworn disclosures of any funds held in favour of the defendant within seven days.
A key aspect of the ruling is the restriction placed on the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited, NNPCL, which prevents it from making any payments to the Chinese firm during the pendency of the case.
The court specifically ordered that no funds arising from contractual obligations between NNPC and the defendant should be released under any circumstance.
The injunction aims to preserve the disputed funds until the court determines the rightful ownership and settlement obligations between the parties involved.
