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| Federal High Court in Ikoyi, Lagos |
A company, the AOS Orwell Limited, today (Wednesday) asked the honourable Federal High Court sitting in Ikoyi, Lagos State to grant and issue a bench warrant of arrest against the Chairman of Seplat Petroleum Development Company Plc, Dr. Ambrose Orjiako, for his failure to appear in court as directed.
Counsel for the firm, Mr. Kunle Ogunba (SAN), while praying for a bench warrant against Orjiako, noted that the court had on about two different occasions directed that the businessman should appear.
Ogunba urged Justice Hadiza Shagari, who gave the directive to invoke the court’s power against Orjiako, saying “the court should not be made to swallow its own spit or sit on appeal on its own pronouncement. The respondent is not above the law.”
But Orjiako’s lawyer, Prof. Kayinsola Ajayi (SAN), urged the judge to decline Ogunba’s request, saying his client was not being disrespectful to the court.
However, the judge, in a short ruling, insisted that the court’s directive on Orjiako’s appearance must be complied with.
But rather than issue a bench warrant as prayed by Ogunba, the judge said she was willing to grant one more adjournment for Orjiako to appear before her, failing which she would have no other option but to issue a bench warrant against the businessman.
AOS Orwell Limited had initiated contempt proceedings against Orjiako, claiming that the businessman willfully and deliberately violated an order made by Justice Shagari on November 8, 2016.
The firm alleged that Orjiako on January 6, 2017 sold the shares of his other company, Shebah Exploration & Production Limited, in spite of a November 8, 2016 by Justice Shagari restraining the “directors, staff, management, employees, officers and agents” the company from dissipating the assets and funds of the company pending the determination of a suit marked FHC/L/CP/1227/2016.
Counsel for the firm, Mr. Kunle Ogunba (SAN), while praying for a bench warrant against Orjiako, noted that the court had on about two different occasions directed that the businessman should appear.
Ogunba urged Justice Hadiza Shagari, who gave the directive to invoke the court’s power against Orjiako, saying “the court should not be made to swallow its own spit or sit on appeal on its own pronouncement. The respondent is not above the law.”
But Orjiako’s lawyer, Prof. Kayinsola Ajayi (SAN), urged the judge to decline Ogunba’s request, saying his client was not being disrespectful to the court.
However, the judge, in a short ruling, insisted that the court’s directive on Orjiako’s appearance must be complied with.
But rather than issue a bench warrant as prayed by Ogunba, the judge said she was willing to grant one more adjournment for Orjiako to appear before her, failing which she would have no other option but to issue a bench warrant against the businessman.
AOS Orwell Limited had initiated contempt proceedings against Orjiako, claiming that the businessman willfully and deliberately violated an order made by Justice Shagari on November 8, 2016.
The firm alleged that Orjiako on January 6, 2017 sold the shares of his other company, Shebah Exploration & Production Limited, in spite of a November 8, 2016 by Justice Shagari restraining the “directors, staff, management, employees, officers and agents” the company from dissipating the assets and funds of the company pending the determination of a suit marked FHC/L/CP/1227/2016.
Case adjourned till December 4, 2017.
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