Chappal Energies said on Thursday it is “deeply concerned” by a public notice issued by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) declaring its Managing Director, Ufoma Immanuel, wanted, alleging that the action disregards an existing court order and bypasses standard legal procedures.

EFCC had on Wednesday, in a public notice on its social media platforms, declared Immanuel wanted, stressing that Immanuel was wanted for an alleged case of obtaining money by false pretence and forgery.

In a statement issued on Thursday, the company said enforcement actions under Nigerian law require reasonable attempts at direct engagement with individuals or corporate entities before any warrant or public declaration is made.

Chappal Energies stated that, to its knowledge, neither Immanuel nor the company was contacted by the Commission before the notice was published.

The firm said both its Managing Director and the organisation remain “fully reachable” through their official addresses, phone lines and electronic contacts, all of which are publicly available.

It added that the sudden publication of a wanted notice, despite its accessibility, creates “the unfortunate impression of a public escalation where standard procedures were readily available.”

Chappal Energies linked the development to what it described as coordinated pressures associated with an ongoing civil dispute.

Court documents made available to The Guardian and dated 11 September 2025 showed that Hon. Justice J.E. Obanor of the High Court of the Federal Capital Territory in suit number CV/2913/2025 and motion number M/10216/2025 granted an interlocutory injunction restraining the EFCC and other respondents from inviting, questioning, arresting or detaining Mr Immanuel or taking any action against Chappal Energies.

The statement noted that the injunction remains in force, raising questions about the legality and timing of the EFCC’s announcement.

According to the company, issuing a wanted notice despite a binding court order “creates the impression of external actors seeking public spectacle and mischief rather than adherence to legal due process.”

The oil firm emphasised that it continues to respect the statutory roles of all government institutions, including the EFCC, and remains committed to cooperating with relevant authorities “through the proper legal channels.”

EFFC says due process in declaring Immanuel wanted

However, speaking to The Guardian, a top EFCC official dismissed the company’s claims, insisting that the Commission followed due process before declaring Immanuel wanted.

“Before he was declared wanted, we exhausted the appropriate legal channels,” the official said. “We have a lawful warrant of arrest against him and have invited him several times to respond to the allegations levelled against him, which he turned down.”

On the issue of the court order, the EFCC source questioned whether the injunction explicitly barred the Commission from declaring a suspect wanted.

“The EFCC is not a frivolous organisation that would do this without going through the proper legal steps,” he added. “Before we declare anybody wanted, be sure we are acting on firm legal ground. We got a lawful warrant.”

He further noted that the Commission remains sensitive to all legal issues raised but stressed that Mr Immanuel’s failure to make himself available made the declaration unavoidable.