Court begins enforcement against Bashar’s assets over $40m oil debt

Court enforcement officials have begun moves against properties linked to the Chairman of Rahamaniyya Group of Companies, Abdulrahman Musa Bashar, in Lagos and Abuja over an approximately $40 million judgment debt owed to Petrichor Energy FZCO.

The enforcement exercise commenced on Wednesday following a February 25, 2026 order of the Federal High Court in Lagos, which granted Petrichor permission to register a judgment of the High Court of Justice of England and Wales for enforcement in Nigeria.

The Nigerian court subsequently issued writs of attachment and sale dated May 15, 2026, targeting assets belonging to Bashar and, under a separate writ, Bashar and Ultimate Oil & Gas FZCO. Court documents were served and posted at properties connected to the respondents during the latest operation.

The enforcement is part of Petrichor’s efforts to recover money arising from petroleum product transactions with Ultimate Oil & Gas between 2022 and 2023.

According to court materials, Petrichor supplied gasoil and Jet-A1 aviation fuel to Ultimate, but disputes subsequently arose over outstanding payments. The matter progressed through arbitration and court proceedings in the United Arab Emirates, England and Nigeria.

In February 2025, the English High Court entered judgments involving Bashar and Ultimate Oil & Gas. Bashar’s liability arose in part from a personal guarantee he provided for the company’s obligations.

The parties later entered into a structured payment arrangement, but court materials said Ultimate subsequently defaulted on instalments despite extensions and partial payments.

The English High Court subsequently granted a worldwide freezing order on March 30, 2026, covering assets linked to Bashar and Ultimate in Nigeria, the UAE, the United Kingdom and France. The order restricted the defendants from disposing of or dealing with assets within its scope.

A Nigerian property valued at approximately $21.3 million was among the assets identified in the proceedings.

Lawyer challenges enforcement in Abuja

The enforcement exercise encountered resistance at a property on Logone Close, Maitama, Abuja, where Bashar’s lawyer, Mohammed Sheriff, challenged the court officials’ action.

Sheriff questioned whether the officials had served the necessary Nigerian court documents authorising the seizure and argued that Bashar should have been served with a motion on notice following registration of the English judgment.

“This is an order of court that you have gotten from a foreign country. I believe the judge doesn’t know that you are doing this,” he said.

The lawyer also claimed that negotiations toward a settlement were ongoing and that Bashar had paid N1 billion the previous week.

“We are aware, and they are settling. Even last week, they paid N1bn, just last week,” Sheriff said.

The enforcement operation later became tense as several vehicles were driven out of the property while police officers were present.

The writs issued by the Federal High Court empower the Sheriff to recover sums due through the attachment and sale of goods and chattels belonging to the respondents, as well as the seizure of specified monetary and financial assets.

The latest action represents the Nigerian stage of a wider, multi-jurisdictional recovery effort arising from the petroleum trading dispute.

Separate enforcement proceedings are also reportedly pending before the DIFC Courts in the United Arab Emirates.