Dangote Petroleum Refinery & Petrochemicals FZE has been dragged earlier than the Federal Excessive Court docket in Lagos over the alleged illegal detention of a vessel.
The corporate, alongside Capt. Shivkumar Sherkhane and Rana Satendra, is dealing with authorized motion over the incident. The candidates within the go well with, filed beneath quantity FHC/L/CS/639/2025, are the vessel Stena Sunshine and its house owners.
In an interim ruling, Justice Akintayo Aluko ordered Dangote Petroleum Refinery & Petrochemicals FZE to launch the MT Stena Sunshine from detention upon the supply of a Letter of Endeavor (LoU) issued by GARD Safety & Indemnity Membership, securing any verifiable claims by the primary respondent as much as the sum of $200,000 USD.
The courtroom additional directed that the Letter of Endeavor must be within the sum of $300,000 USD, as mirrored within the candidates’ letter dated April 8, 2025. The candidates have been additionally ordered to formally file the LoU earlier than the courtroom.
Nonetheless, the courtroom declined the candidates’ request for an interim injunction to restrain Dangote Petroleum Refinery, its workers, brokers, or representatives from harassing, arresting, detaining, or intimidating the candidates or interfering with their rights over the March 14, 2025, incident.
The matter was adjourned to Might 27, 2025, for the listening to of the substantive go well with.
Of their movement dated March 26, 2025, the candidates had sought a number of reliefs, together with:
An interim injunction restraining the respondents from additional acts of harassment, detention, or threats associated to the incident.
An order for the discharge of the MT Stena Sunshine upon submission of the LoU securing any verifiable claims as much as $200,000 USD.
An order allowing substituted service of courtroom processes through courier to the Respondent’s Chief Working Officer.
The candidates supported their movement with a 14-paragraph affidavit and 19 grounds for the appliance. Dangote Petroleum Refinery & Petrochemicals FZE and the opposite respondents opposed the movement with an 11-paragraph affidavit.
In his ruling, Justice Aluko held that whereas the candidates’ request for defense from harassment couldn’t be granted at this interim stage because it pertains to substantive points, their request for the vessel’s launch had benefit primarily based on the proof supplied.
The courtroom ordered:
Refusal of the primary reduction (safety from harassment).
Granting of the second reduction (launch of the vessel).
The LoU have to be within the sum of $300,000 USD, as indicated by the candidates’ endeavor dated April 8, 2025.
The LoU have to be formally filed earlier than the courtroom.