The Federal High Court in Port Harcourt has dismissed an application filed by General Hydrocarbons Limited (GHL).
The company had sought to serve a previous court verdict—concerning the arrest and detention of crude oil cargo aboard the FPSO Tamara Tokoni—on several parties, including First Bank of Nigeria Limited, 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.
Justice E.A. Obile dismissed GHL’s ex parte motion against First Bank of Nigeria (FBN) on May 7, 2025.
This represents the latest development in the ongoing legal battle between First Bank of Nigeria Limited and General Hydrocarbons Limited over the arrest and detention of the cargo of crude oil on board FPSO Tamara Tokoni.
Legal Development
- The legal team of GHL, Dr. A. I. Layonu SAN and C.E. Owei, had on May 2, 2025, filed a motion ex parte praying the court to compel the Deputy Chief Registrar of the Federal High Court, Port Harcourt, to serve the court orders on the parties to the suit, including the Nigerian Navy, NUPRC, NIMASA, and the Harbour Master of the NPA.
- They also requested an order that the court’s decision of April 29, 2025, dismissing FBN’s application for an injunction pending appeal, be served on the parties to the suit, including the relevant authorities directed to assist the Admiralty Marshal in enforcing the order of arrest.
- GHL maintained that the Deputy Chief Registrar has failed and refused to serve the orders of court.
What the Court Said
- Ruling on the matter, the judge held that, having considered the submissions of the applicant’s counsel, the proper order was to dismiss the application.
The judge subsequently ordered that the application be dismissed.
Backstory
Nairametrics previously reported on March 26, 2025, that a Federal High Court sitting in Port Harcourt had dismissed a suit filed by First Bank of Nigeria (FBN) against GHL, temporarily halting the bank’s efforts to stop what it described as a fraudulent attempt to dispose of crude oil aboard the FPSO Tamara Tokoni.
In the ruling delivered by Justice E.A. Obile, the court upheld a preliminary objection filed by GHL and dismissed the case in its entirety on the grounds that it lacked jurisdiction to entertain the matter.
The judge ruled that the dispute between the two institutions was not a maritime claim but rather a debt recovery matter, and held that the suit constituted an abuse of court process and a breach of a prior court order.
However, despite the court’s ruling, First Bank insisted that the crude cargo remained under arrest and that it had taken steps to appeal the judgment.
In a statement, the bank said it filed a notice of appeal and is also seeking an injunction to restrain GHL from tampering with the crude pending the resolution of the appeal.
“While FirstBank holds the judiciary in high regard, we strongly disagree with the ruling, which we believe represents a miscarriage of justice,” the bank said.
FBN maintained that it remains committed to protecting the interests of stakeholders and will relentlessly pursue justice against alleged mischievous debtors attempting to manipulate the legal system to avoid their financial responsibilities.
