The Supreme Court has ordered the Chief Registrar of the Court of Appeal and the Admiralty Marshal to immediately hand over the crude oil aboard the FPSO Tamara Tokoni to General Hydrocarbons Limited (GHL).

In a unanimous judgment delivered on Friday, the apex court also dismissed the case instituted by First Bank of Nigeria (FBN), holding that the dispute was contractual in nature and did not fall within the jurisdiction of the Federal High Court as an admiralty matter.

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The five-member panel of the Supreme Court consequently allowed General Hydrocarbons’ appeal and set aside the judgment of the Court of Appeal.

The justices held that the lower courts lacked jurisdiction to entertain the matter as an admiralty case.

The panel comprised Justices Uwani Musa Abba Aji, Adamu Jauro Salawa, Justice Emmanuel A. Agim, Tijjani Abubakar and Habeeb Adewale Abiru, who read the lead judgment.

The court directed that the crude oil aboard the FPSO Tamara Tokoni be released to General Hydrocarbons forthwith and without delay.

The ruling effectively overturns the Court of Appeal’s decision in the dispute between General Hydrocarbons and First Bank of Nigeria over the crude cargo aboard the floating production storage and offloading (FPSO) vessel. (Arise News)

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