AMNI clarifies legal position regarding reported court order in Cenroc dispute

By Isa Isawade

AMNI International Petroleum Development Company Limited has clarified a reported court order in dispute involving it and Cenroc FPSO Solutions Nigeria Limited, a case marked FHC/L/CS/1454/2025.

There had been media reports that an administrator was appointed by the court to manage affairs in the dispute. But a release by the Company’s lawyer on Saturday which was forwarded to P.M.NEWS has clarified that the earlier reports were inaccurate.

It read in part: “AMNI International Petroleum Development Company Limited (“AMNI” or “the Company”) has become aware of media reports suggesting that a Receiver-Manager has been appointed over the Company.

“AMNI wishes to clarify that this characterization is inaccurate and materially misleading.

“The order made by the Federal High Court does not appoint a Receiver-Manager over AMNI. Rather, the order, as drawn, relates to a limited appointment as Administrator for defined purposes connected to an alleged indebtedness. Any representation that a receivership has been established or that full managerial control of AMNI has passed is incorrect.

“The scope, validity, and effect of the said appointment are currently the subject of appellate proceedings. AMNI has exercised its constitutional right of appeal and has filed applications for stay of execution and injunctive relief before the Court of Appeal. These applications remain pending and undetermined.

“It is therefore concerning that public declarations implying finality or control have been circulated while judicial proceedings seeking to preserve the status quo are awaiting determination. Such representations risk creating a misleading impression that does not reflect the true legal position.

“The underlying dispute arises from commercial transactions that AMNI is seriously contesting, including issues concerning corporate authority and prior approvals. These matters form part of the substantive questions now before the appellate court,” the company clarified.

It went further to summarize the current state of affairs in the case for clarity’s sake that:

I. An appeal has been duly filed;

II. Applications for stay of execution and injunctive relief are pending;

III. The legal validity, scope, and effect of the purported appointment are under active challenge; and that,

IV. The substantive allegations concerning unauthorized approvals and corporate authority are contested.

It concluded that “AMNI continues to operate in the ordinary course of business and remains fully committed to its regulatory, contractual, and operational obligations.”