Justice Adegbola Adeniyi of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) High Court has issued a ruling ordering the enforcement of a judgement in favour of Nigerian billionaire businessman Mr. Benedict Peters against the British Government. The judgement pertains to the planned takeover of Peters’ business interests.
In his ruling, dated October 10, 2023, Justice Adegbola Adeniyi granted leave to Mr. Peters to serve, register, and enforce judgements issued by Nigerian courts of competent jurisdiction against the British Government.
The court stated: “Upon listening to Emeka Ozoani, Esq. SAN (with Peter O. Abang, Esq. & Keren Bitto, Esq.) of learned counsel for the Claimants/Applicants moving in terms of the motion paper: IT is hereby ordered: Application is considered to be meritorious and it is accordingly granted as prayed. Accordingly, leave is hereby granted to the Applicants to serve, register and enforce judgments of Nigerian Courts referred to in ground three of the application.”
The background to this ruling involves a 2017 judgement that declared the actions of the British National Crime Agency (NCA), Crown Prosecution Service (CPS), and their officers against Mr. Peters unlawful and unconstitutional. The court described these actions as part of a coordinated operation to persecute Mr. Peters, whose legitimate sources of income and business practices had been affirmed by numerous courts.
The recent ruling also granted another application by Mr. Peters, seeking a court order to serve the British authorities, including the NCA, CPS, Immigration, and Attorneys-General of different countries, with ten court judgements that have upheld his innocence in various charges.
In SUIT NO: FCT/HC/CV/0536/2017, the court awarded damages of Two Hundred Million Naira (approximately about Two Hundred Thousand British Pounds) in favour of Mr. Peters and his companies against the Defendants, jointly and severally. These damages were awarded for the unlawful interference, economic loss, loss of corporate goodwill from creditors, expropriation of personal assets, and proprietary rights.
The case has been ongoing since investigations involving Diezani Allison-Madueke, and the British NCA and CPS have been seeking to take substantial parts of Mr. Peters’ properties and funds, including the OML 29 oil well and bank accounts. This ruling marks an important development in Mr. Peters’ legal battle to protect his investments.
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