₦airaland Forum

The Federal High Court in Lagos has directed Dangote Petroleum Refinery & Petrochemicals FZE to release the detained vessel MT Stena Sunshine after accepting a financial guarantee from its owners.

Justice Akintayo Aluko issued the interim ruling following a legal challenge by the vessel’s owners, who accused the refinery of unlawfully detaining the ship. The court mandated that the vessel be freed upon submission of a $300,000 Letter of Undertaking (LoU) from GARD Protection & Indemnity Club, securing any verified claims by Dangote.

However, the judge declined the owners’ request for an injunction to prevent the refinery and its agents from further harassment or interference, stating that such matters would be addressed in the substantive hearing.

Case Background

The dispute stems from an incident on March 14, 2025, which led to the vessel’s detention. The owners, in a lawsuit (*FHC/L/CS/639/2025*), sought immediate release, arguing that the refinery had no legal basis to hold the ship.

Dangote Refinery, alongside Capt. Shivkumar Sherkhane and Rana Satendra, opposed the motion, filing an 11-paragraph counter-affidavit.

Court’s Decision
Justice Aluko ruled that while the request for protection from harassment could not be granted at this stage, the demand for the vessel’s release was justified. The court ordered:

Refusal of the harassment injunction (to be revisited in the main suit).


Approval of the vessel’s release upon filing the $300,000 LoU.

Formal submission of the guarantee to the court.

The case has been adjourned to May 27, 2025, for further hearing.

Inspirer1:
Case background that is not detailed enough to know why it was seized in the first instance.

"The dispute stems from an incident on March 14, 2025, which led to the vessel’s detention."

They won't tell us the "incident" why mention it.

pacino26:
Very poor reporting. Why was the vessel seized in the first place?

pacino26:
Very poor reporting. Why was the vessel seized in the first place?

Inspirer1:
Case background that is not detailed enough to know why it was seized in the first instance.

"The dispute stems from an incident on March 14, 2025, which led to the vessel’s detention."

They won't tell us the "incident" why mention it.

KillahPriest:
There's some shege you survive in business that you end up being wicked especially when you notice people suddenly moving funny. I don't blame Dangote at all for his actions

jimi4us:
It was obviously stealing petroleum products

From the judge name you would know there's fraudulent activity going on.

ALUKO is a notorious name in fraudulent activities

danvon:
Dangote is not a poor man though, he might even be the oppressor

KillahPriest:
smh.. oppressor in this type of business where you deal with international entities and regulators on a daily. Na wa

danvon:
And? He is the richest man in Africa, he can get away with certain things.

Inspirer1:
Case background that is not detailed enough to know why it was seized in the first instance.

"The dispute stems from an incident on March 14, 2025, which led to the vessel’s detention."

They won't tell us the "incident" why mention it.