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Notice Of Withdrawal On Criminal Charges Against Seplat Fraudulent — CSO

Published

3 years ago

April 22, 2023

…warns FG against withdrawing charges

A civil society and good governance advocacy organization, Make a Difference Initiative, has advised the Federal Government to resist the pressure to discontinue the charge against Seplat Energy PLC.

MADI equally dismissed the claims by Seplat that the Federal Government had withdrawn the four-count criminal charges in suit No. FHC/AB/CR/149/2023 slammed on the company; the CEO, Mr Roger Brown; the Chairman, Board of Directors, Mr Basil Omiyi; and others over an alleged criminal breach of Nigeria’s immigration laws and regulations.

It said its investigation showed that the purported notice of discontinuance of the criminal charge, which also saw six independent non-executive directors dragged before a Federal High Court in Abuja, was a stunt as revealed by a review of the conflicting timeline of events shows gross abuse.

The group also argued that the sequence of events did not support the purported notice being brandished by Seplat.

MADI made the assertions in a statement by its Executive Director, Lemmy Ughegbe, on Thursday, in reaction to the said corporate announcement by Seplat.

The group said, “Our attention has been drawn to a misleading claim by Seplat Energy PLC that the Federal Government had withdrawn the four-count criminal charges against the company; the CEO, Mr Roger Brown; the Board Chairman, Mr Basil Omiyi; and six Independent Non-Executive Directors (INED) for allowing Mr Brown to accept employment as the CEO of Seplat Energy PLC without the statutory approval of the Controller-General of Immigration, conspiring among yourselves to allow Mr Brown take over the business as CEO of Seplat Energy PLC without the consent of the Minister of Interior, allowing Mr Roger Brown, a non-Nigerian to accept employment as CEO of Seplat after withdrawal of his visa, resident, and work permits, and for refusing to apply for the Comptroller-General of Immigration’s approval before employing Mr Brown both as Chief Finance Officer and CEO, contrary to the provisions of the Immigration 2015.

“We state that this cannot be true, as our investigation revealed that the so-called notice of withdrawal did not follow due process of the law and does not have the appropriate approval for such an action. Our investigation further revealed that although the defendants are doing everything possible to thwart the legal proceedings by hook or crook, the criminal charges against Seplat and its offending directors remain alive as of today.

“First, how come the notice of discontinuance was dated 6th April 2023 and only surfaced in court on 19th April 2023? This raises more questions than answers.

“Secondly, the purported Notice of Withdrawal/Discontinuance was stamped and dated 6th April 2023, the same date the four-count criminal charge was filed against Seplat and its leadership. Could the same FG be filing the charges and the Notice of Withdrawal at the same time?

“Thirdly, if the FG filed a Notice of Withdrawal/Discontinuance on 6th April as stamped on the suspicious document, how come the four-count criminal charges were served on Seplat on 11th April? Why did the FG and the court have to effect the service of a supposedly withdrawn and discontinued lawsuit?

“Fourthly, Seplat’s, its Directors’ and CEO’s lawsuit against the Nigerian Immigration Service was heard on 13th April. How come Immigration did not inform them or the court that the criminal charges against them had been dropped? Instead, the lawsuit was heard and their prayers not to be arraigned were denied.

“In any case, a mere Notice does not amount to the dismissal of the case, as the court will need to hear the motion. Even then, Immigration will then tell …”
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News

Trump’s Airstrikes: Halt Military Cooperation With US Immediately – Sheikh Gumi Tells Tinubu Govt

Published

5 hours ago

December 26, 2025

Editor

Islamic cleric, Sheikh Ahmad Gumi has called on the Federal Government to immediately halt all military cooperation with the United States following reported US airstrikes.

Gumi warned that American involvement could worsen Nigeria’s security challenges and undermine national sovereignty.

Gumi made the call in a statement posted on his Facebook page on Friday.

He said while Islam permits the fight against terrorism, such actions should only be carried out by what he described as “clean hands,” arguing that the United States lacks the moral authority to lead such efforts because of its global military record.

According to the cleric, Nigeria made a mistake by allowing foreign powers to play a role in its counterterrorism operations, insisting that “terrorists do not truly fight terrorists” and that such interventions often result in civilian casualties and hidden political motives.

Gumi warned that allowing Nigeria to become a theatre of war would attract anti-US forces into the country, further destabilising it.

He also cautioned that US involvement, particularly under claims of protecting Christians, could polarise the country along religious lines.

The cleric further argued that airstrikes alone cannot defeat terrorism, stressing that effective counterterrorism requires strong ground operations, which he said Nigeria has enough personnel to carry out if properly organised.

“This is the mistake Nigeria has made. Terrorists don’t fight terrorists in truth; they may only kill innocent people and have ulterior motives behind the drama of fighting ‘terror’.

“As a principle, no nation should allow its land to be a theater of war. And no nation should allow its neighbors to be their enemies.

“If Nigeria wants military assistance, China, Turkey, and Pakistan can do the job effectively,” part of his statement reads.

News

Shehu Sani Reacts To Trump’s Military Strikes In Nigeria

Published

5 hours ago

December 26, 2025

Editor

Former lawmaker, senator Shehu Sani, has reacted to reports of United States military strikes on terrorist targets in Nigeria’s North-West, saying foreign powers cannot permanently handle the country’s security challenges.

Sani made the remarks on Friday via his X handle while responding to a post by the United States Africa Command, AFRICOM, which indicated that the strikes were carried out in coordination with Nigerian authorities.

According to him, if the reported strikes were indeed a joint operation with Nigerian security agencies, then such action was justifiable, given the threat posed by terrorist groups in the region.

He described terrorists operating in parts of northern Nigeria as “cancerous cells,” stressing that they survive through violence and should be confronted decisively.

Sani also dismissed narratives suggesting that terrorist attacks target only one religious group, describing such claims as false and misleading.

He said: “If actually, the military strikes against the terrorists targets in the North Western part of Nigeria were a joint operation with the ‘Nigerian Authorities’ as posted by the US AFRICOM on their verified X handle, then it’s a conscionable action.

“Terrorists have become cancerous cells in our part of the country.They live by the sword.The narrative that the evil terrorists only targets one faith, remains absolutely false and misleading.

“Again, the ultimate security and peace in our country lies with ourselves and not with the US or any foreign power. They can complimentarily or unilaterally strike, but they can’t eternally fight our battles.”