SEPLAT Energy Plc revealed in a statement given to the investing public today, April 20, that the Federal government has dropped charges against it relating to abuse of Nigeria’s immigration laws.
The notice of withdrawal of the case on April 6, was issued by the Director, Legal Services, of the Nigeria Immigration Service (NIS).
The statement was titled, ‘Notice of Withdrawal/Discontinuance of Immigration Suit against Seplat Energy and Its Directors,’ and signed by its Board chairman, Basil Omiyi.
Seplat quoted the NIS as stating in part that “the Claimant hereby discontinues all the proceedings in this charge against the above-named Defendants.”
The federal government had filed criminal charges against Seplat, the company’s chief executive officer (CEO), Roger Brown, the board chairman, Basil Omiyi, for alleged breach of extant provisions of the Immigration Act 2015.
In the lawsuit, with Charge No. FHC/AB/CR/149/2023, filed at the Federal High Court (FHC), Abuja on April 6, the federal government accused the defendants of allowing Brown to accept employment as the CEO of Seplat without the statutory approval of the Comptroller-General of Immigration.
The ICIR recalls that the ex parte interim orders against Seplat Energy Plc, its CEO Roger Brown, and Board chairman Basil Omiyi were overturned by the FHC sitting in Lagos. Additionally, the order barring Brown from being involved in company management was overturned.
However, Seplat declared that it would keep working with the Interior Ministry to resolve the accusations that led to the withdrawal of its CEO’s residency status.
The company also made reference to its declaration from April 6 in which it revealed that the ex parte interim orders against the company and its executives have been vacated by the FHC in Lagos.
