Alleged racism: Court dismantles suit against Seplat CEO, others

 

A legal action instituted by some aggrieved shareholders against Seplat Energy, its Chief Executive Officer, Mr Roger Brown, and the Chairman, Board of Directors, Mr Basil Omiyi over alleged racism was today dismissed by Justice Chukwujekwu Aneke of a Federal High Court, Ikoyi.

Justice Aneke took the decision after the lawyer for the stakeholders, Mr Ayodele Arotiowa, informed the court of his clients' intention to withdraw the suit.

The aggrieved stakeholders who were petitioners in the suit marked FHC/L/402/2023, include, Moses Igbrude, Sarat Kudaisi, Kenneth Nnabike, Ajani Abidoye, and Robert Ibekwe, with Seplat Energy Plc, Mr Brown and Omiyi listed as first to third defendants.

It would be recalled that the petitioners had asked the judge for an order of mandatory injunction restraining the second respondent (Brown) from parading himself as the CEO of Seplat or work for Seplat in any other capacity.

They had equally sought an order restraining Seplat and the company's Board Chairman from retaining Brown as the CEO of Seplat or retaining his services for Seplat in any capacity.

However, during proceedings on the substantive suit, counsel to the petitioners, Mr Arotiowa informed the court that his clients had filed a Notice of Withdrawal and were no longer willing to continue with the suit.

Even, Seplat's counsel, Uzoma Azikiwe (SAN) told the court that his client had filed an appeal challenging the jurisdiction of the court to entertain the suit and urged the court to suspend all proceedings pending determination of the appeal.

On his part, the lawyer to Seplat's CEO, Mr Kayode Adesina, informed the court that the Notice of Withdrawal filed by the petitioners was served on him in court after the appeal challenging the jurisdiction of the court had been entered at the Court of Appeal, Lagos Division. 

He submitted that the petitioners filed their Notice of Discountenance on April 18, 2023, but decided to serve the Respondents in court.

In not opposing the Notice of Discontinuance, Adesina asked the court to award the sum of N10m as cost against the petitioners for the delay in serving notice of discontinuance, which counsel to the petitioners blamed on the court’s bailiff.

Handing down his ruling, Justice Aneke struck out the suit and ordered the petitioners to pay N1 million to the second and third respondents.

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