Tension as Nigerian Businessman Clashes with Security Forces in Abuja
- Court officials moved against properties linked to Rahamaniyya Group Chairman Abdulrahman Musa Bashar in Lagos and Abuja on Wednesday, September 23
- The enforcement follows a February 2026 Federal High Court order allowing a British judgment worth about $40m to be registered in Nigeria
- Bashar's lawyer challenged the seizure at a Maitama property, claiming the proper legal process was not followed and that settlement talks were ongoing
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Court officials on Wednesday, September 23, began enforcement proceedings in Lagos and Abuja targeting properties tied to Alhaji Abdulrahman Musa Bashar, Chairman of Rahamaniyya Group of Companies, over an unpaid debt of approximately $40m owed to Petrichor Energy FZCO.
The operation was carried out on the strength of a Federal High Court, Lagos order dated February 25, 2026, which granted Petrichor permission to register a judgment from the High Court of Justice of England and Wales for enforcement in Nigeria. The Nigerian court subsequently issued writs of attachment and sale on May 15, directing the seizure and sale of assets belonging to Bashar and, under a separate writ, Bashar alongside Ultimate Oil & Gas FZCO.
Source: Original
Resistance at Maitama Property
The enforcement ran into a legal challenge at a property on Logone Close, Maitama, Abuja, where Bashar's counsel, Mohammed Sheriff, confronted the court officials. Sheriff argued that the enforcement team had failed to present what he described as the proper Nigerian court documents authorising the action.
He maintained that following the registration of the English judgment in Nigeria, Bashar should have received a motion on notice and been allowed 14 days to respond or seek to set the judgment aside.
"This is an order of court that you have gotten from a foreign country. I believe the judge doesn't know that you are doing this. I am sure. Because after this registration of the judgment, there has to be Motion on Notice to serve them, that this is the position of the Nigerian court, now you come and respond," Sheriff said.
Sheriff also told officials that the parties were actively negotiating a settlement, adding that Bashar had paid N1 billion the previous week.
"We are aware, and they are settling. Even last week, they paid N1 billion naira, just last week. So we cannot be expecting this, after all, you have not served us the necessary papers," he said.
Tension rose when associates of Bashar attempted to drive a number of vehicles out of the compound, among them Toyota Highlander SUVs, a Mercedes-Benz C-Class and a Range Rover Sport. Police locked the compound gates, though the vehicles were later seen leaving at high speed.
Background to the $40m Dispute
Source: Original
The debt traces back to petroleum product transactions between Petrichor, formerly known as CE Energy DMCC, and Ultimate Oil & Gas between 2022 and 2023. Petrichor supplied gasoil and Jet-A1 aviation fuel to Ultimate, which allegedly failed to complete payment, leaving roughly $40m outstanding. The dispute escalated into proceedings across Dubai, London and the UAE.
In February 2025, the English High Court entered judgment against Bashar personally under a guarantee and against Ultimate Oil & Gas, placing combined liability at about $40.2m. A structured payment plan agreed in April 2025 later collapsed after Ultimate defaulted on instalments. By January 2026, the company had paid only 8.7m dirhams against an expected 45.7m dirhams, leaving a shortfall of 37m dirhams.
The English court then granted a worldwide freezing order in March 2026 covering about $40m in assets across Nigeria, the UAE, the UK and France. A Nigerian property valued at about $21.3m was among the assets identified in the proceedings.
Source: Legit.ng
