Court orders arrest of Oando’s oil rigs over N4.7 billion debt

A Federal High Court sitting in Port Harcourt, Rivers State has ordered the arrest and detention of three crude oil drilling rigs, OES TEAMWORK, OES INTEGRITY AND OES PASSION belonging to Oando Energy Services Limited over debts of $15,399,524.84 about N4.7 billion and N14,169,164.80.

The arrest and detention order for the three drilling rigs was made by the Court’s Vacation Judge, Justice J.K. Omotosho on 17th August 2017. The Court Order was made consequent upon suit number FHC/PH/CS/102/2017 filed by oil and gas logistics services firm, INTELS Nigeria Limited against the three drilling rigs as 1st to 3rd Defendants; Oando Energy Services Limited, Oando Marketing PLC and Oando Plc as 4th to 6th Defendants respectively.

The court ordered the three drilling rigs, moored at the Federal Ocean Terminal (FOT), Onne Port Complex in Onne, Rivers State, to be detained pending the provision of a sufficient and acceptable bank guarantee from either the United Bank for Africa PLC (UBA), Guaranty Trust Bank PLC (GTB), Zenith Bank PLC (ZBN) or First Bank of Nigeria PLC (FBN) by the Defendants to cover the debt of US$15,399,524.84 and N14,169,164.80.
The amount is owed by Oando Energy Services Limited for general port and facilities services provided at the port for the three rigs over an extended period of time. Justice Omotosho fixed further hearing in the matter for 30th August 2017.