Reported by: Ijeoma G | Edited by: Oravbiere Osayomore Promise.
A Federal High Court in Port Harcourt, Rivers State, has issued an interim order restraining the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPC Ltd) and all banks operating in Nigeria from releasing or paying any money to Beijing Seajets International Forwarder Company Limited pending the determination of a dispute over an alleged unpaid debt of $117,000. Justice Stephen Daylop Pam, in a ruling on an ex parte application filed by Wellman Group Limited, granted the orders in Suit No: FHC/PH/CS/55/2026.
The dispute arose from a contract for the hire of tugboats and barges to transport and store heavy cargo within Nigerian territorial waters between December 8, 2025, and January 27, 2026. Wellman Group Limited, the plaintiff, claimed that Beijing Seajets International Forwarder Company Limited failed to pay for services rendered, including the transportation of a 340-ton gas turbine and 300 tons of Giwu 1 and 2 generators. The cargo was reportedly moved from the Nigerian Ports Authority facility in Warri to Griniya Jetty, Lokoka, aboard the plaintiff’s barge, MV Dodi Star. The plaintiff calculated the outstanding amount at a daily rate of $12,987.10, totaling $117,000.
In its ex parte motion, argued by counsel M.K. Chinda and H. Aigbiremolen, Wellman Group Limited sought to prevent the dissipation of funds allegedly owed by the Chinese firm. The court granted a Mareva injunction, freezing the assets of Beijing Seajets International Forwarder Company Limited and its directors, shareholders, agents, and representatives in any Nigerian bank or financial institution up to the claimed sum. Specifically, the court restrained the Chinese firm from withdrawing, transferring, or dissipating funds in its accounts and barred it from selling or tampering with any movable or immovable assets, shares, or funds in Nigeria pending the hearing of the substantive motion.
Additionally, the court ordered NNPC Ltd not to pay any money to the Chinese firm that might be due under any contractual obligations related to the dispute. The court further directed all banks within its jurisdiction, as well as NNPC Ltd, to disclose on oath within seven days the sums standing to the credit of the defendant or otherwise due to it from the state-owned oil company. The matter was adjourned to June 1, 2026, for mention.
The ruling marks a significant development in the legal battle between the two firms, as it effectively blocks the Chinese company from accessing funds that could be used to satisfy the alleged debt. The interim orders will remain in effect until the court hears the substantive motion or until the parties reach a resolution.
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