Officials of the Federal High Court have commenced enforcement proceedings against properties linked to Rahamaniyya Group Chairman, Alhaji Abdulrahman Musa Bashar, over an approximately $40 million debt owed to Petrichor Energy FZCO.
The action followed a February 25, 2026 order of the Federal High Court in Lagos granting Petrichor permission to register a judgment of the High Court of Justice of England and Wales for enforcement in Nigeria.
The Nigerian court subsequently issued writs of attachment and sale dated May 15 against assets belonging to Bashar and, under a separate writ, Bashar and Ultimate Oil & Gas FZCO.
Court officials moved to properties in Lagos and Abuja on September 23 to begin enforcement.
The underlying dispute arose from petroleum-product transactions between Petrichor — formerly CE Energy DMCC — and Ultimate Oil & Gas between 2022 and 2023.
According to the proceedings, Petrichor supplied gasoil and Jet-A1 aviation fuel, while payment defaults allegedly left approximately $40 million outstanding.
The dispute subsequently generated arbitration and court proceedings across several jurisdictions, including Dubai and London. An English court entered judgment in February 2025 against Bashar personally under a guarantee and against Ultimate Oil & Gas.
At a Maitama property during Wednesday’s enforcement exercise, Bashar’s counsel, Mohammed Sheriff, objected to the process. He argued that the respondents had not been served with the Nigerian court documents he considered necessary and should have been afforded an opportunity to challenge enforcement.
Sheriff also said settlement discussions were ongoing and claimed that ₦1 billion had been paid the previous week. Those assertions represent the judgment debtor’s position and do not set aside the existing enforcement orders.
The case is especially significant for cross-border commercial litigation because it demonstrates how a judgment obtained abroad can, subject to Nigerian law and judicial approval, ultimately reach assets situated within Nigeria.
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SOURCE: Punch Newspapers
