The legal battle between Femi Otedola’s First Bank and Nduka Obaigbena’s General Hydrocarbons Limited has intensified. In the latest development, the Federal High Court in Port Harcourt has granted an order to arrest and detain the crude oil cargo on board the Floating Production Storage and Offloading (FPSO) Vessel Tamara Tokoni.
Personnel of the Nigerian Navy have since detained the cargo in line with the court order, PREMIUM TIMES learnt early Wednesday morning.
The FPSO on board vessel Tamara Tokoni belongs to General Hydrocarbons, an oil servicing firm owned mainly by Mr Obaigbena, who also serves as Chairman and Editor-in-Chief of THISDAY and ARISE Media Group.
The businessman’s oil firm and First Bank are locked in a knotty legal conflict over credit facilities his company took, which the bank claimed missed several repayment deadlines.
First Bank is claiming $225.8 million, which it said is the indebtedness on General Hydrocarbons‘ account with the lender as of 30 September 2024.
The 9 January ruling by Justice E.A. Obile ordered the detention of the crude oil cargo on board FPSO Tamara Tokoni pending the provision of a “satisfactory Guarantee from a first-class Nigerian Bank of $19.7 million plus interest and costs by the said Defendants…”
The order also directed officers of the Nigerian Navy, the Nigerian Upstream Petroleum Regulatory Commission (NUPRC), the Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency (NIMASA), and the Harbour Master of the Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA) to provide the necessary assistance in implementing the order of arrest of the FPSO Vessel Tamara Tokoni.
The judge also ordered the security officials to take necessary steps, including providing “regular patrols and surveillance around the cargo of crude oil to prevent General Hydrocarbons Limited from dissipation until the Order of this Court has been complied with in respect of the arrest of the FPSO on board Tamara Tokoni.”
The court then adjourned the matter to 9 February 2025 for a continuation of the substantive suit.
