A fresh legal battle has erupted over the control of Eroton Exploration and Production Limited, with the oil and gas company seeking to halt the execution of interim court orders that placed it under administration.
Through its lawyers, Dr Joseph Nwobike (SAN) of Osborne Law Practice, and Collins Ogbonna, Eroton has asked the Federal High Court sitting in Lagos to stay all actions arising from interim ex parte orders made on January 20 and 29, 2026, pending the determination of applications challenging both the legality of the orders and the court’s jurisdiction.
The company has filed three separate applications: a Motion on Notice seeking to set aside the interim orders and restrain their execution; a Notice of Preliminary Objection contesting the court’s jurisdiction; and a substantive motion for stay of execution and injunctive relief to preserve the status quo.
Collectively, the applications seek to suspend the administration process until the court resolves the jurisdictional issues raised by the company.
The dispute arose from proceedings instituted by the Lagos State Internal Revenue Service (LIRS), which led to the issuance of the interim orders and the appointment of Mr Amala Umeike, an insolvency practitioner, as Administrator of Eroton.
Following his appointment, Umeike issued notices to Eroton’s management, including a letter dated February 6, 2026, convening a management meeting scheduled for February 11 at Stren & Blan Partners, Lagos.
Eroton, however, insists that the Federal High Court lacks the jurisdiction to entertain the suit or grant the interim orders.
In court filings dated February 9, 2026, the company argued that the orders were made without full and frank disclosure of material facts and that the initiating party is not a juristic entity competent to apply for administration under Sections 450 and 868 of the Companies and Allied Matters Act, 2020.
In an affidavit sworn by Felix Deckon, Senior Litigation Officer at Osborne Law Practice, Eroton stated that the interim orders have severely disrupted its operations and impaired its ability to meet financial obligations.
Deckon described Eroton as an indigenous oil and gas producer that operated OML 18 in the Niger Delta between 2015 and 2023, recording significant growth and holding a Petroleum Prospecting Licence valid until 2038.
The company is seeking orders restraining LIRS, the Administrator, and over 40 other parties, including commercial banks, regulatory agencies, and security institutions, from acting on the interim orders.
It is also asking the court to set aside steps already taken pursuant to the orders, including the Administrator’s February 6 letter, related newspaper publications, and to restrain the proposed management meeting.
Eroton further argued that once the issue of jurisdiction is raised, the court is bound to determine it as a threshold matter, warning that any further action would prejudice its rights.
Nwobike submitted that the court possesses inherent powers to reverse steps already taken, prevent abuse of its process, and preserve the integrity of judicial proceedings.
No hearing date has yet been fixed for the applications.
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