….Nigeria’s Federal High Court has begun enforcing writs against assets linked to Rahamaniyya chairman Abdulrahman Musa Bashar over an approximately $40m oil debt owed to Petrichor Energy.
Enforcement officers of the Federal High Court have begun moves to seize and sell properties linked to Abdulrahman Musa Bashar, chairman of Rahamaniyya Group of Companies, in Lagos and Abuja over an approximately $40 million oil trading debt owed to Petrichor Energy FZCO.
The enforcement action, which began on Wednesday, September 23, followed a February 25, 2026 order of the Federal High Court in Lagos granting Petrichor leave to register and enforce in Nigeria a judgment of the High Court of Justice of England and Wales.
The Nigerian court subsequently issued writs of attachment and sale dated May 15, 2026, covering assets linked to Bashar and, under a separate writ, Bashar and Ultimate Oil & Gas FZCO.
Court enforcement documents were served and posted at properties connected to the respondents in Lagos and Abuja as part of the latest recovery effort.
The dispute stems from petroleum product transactions between Petrichor, formerly known as CE Energy DMCC, and Ultimate Oil & Gas between 2022 and 2023.
According to the English High Court proceedings, Petrichor supplied gasoil to Ultimate, with the debt supported by a personal guarantee from Bashar. The English court subsequently entered judgment against Ultimate and Bashar.
Abuja enforcement resisted
The enforcement operation encountered resistance at a property on Logone Close, Maitama, Abuja, where Bashar’s lawyer, Mohammed Sheriff, challenged the court officials.
Sheriff questioned whether the officials had presented the Nigerian court documents he said were required to authorise the seizure.
He also argued that following registration of the English judgment in Nigeria, Bashar should have been served with a motion on notice and given an opportunity to respond or seek to set aside the registration.
The lawyer further said the parties were negotiating a settlement and claimed Bashar had paid N1 billion the previous week.
The claims were made by Bashar’s counsel during the enforcement exercise and were not independently established in the court documents reviewed for the proceedings.
Tensions reportedly rose at the Abuja property as associates of Bashar attempted to remove several vehicles from the compound, including Toyota Highlander SUVs, a Mercedes-Benz C-Class and a Range Rover Sport. Police officers subsequently locked the gates, although the vehicles were later seen leaving the premises.
Debt dispute goes back to petroleum product transactions
The underlying dispute arose from petroleum product transactions involving Ultimate Oil & Gas and Petrichor.
Petrichor is a UAE-based commodities trading company, while Ultimate is a UAE-registered commodities trading company described in court proceedings as the offshore trading arm of the Rahamaniyya Group. Bashar is identified in the English proceedings as Ultimate’s chairman and owner.
The English proceedings concerned unpaid gasoil supplied by Petrichor and a personal guarantee provided by Bashar.
On February 14, 2025, the English High Court granted summary judgment against Ultimate and Bashar, ordering payment of specified principal sums, interest and costs.
A subsequent structured payment arrangement was reached, but court proceedings later recorded continuing issues over payment.
Worldwide asset freeze
The dispute escalated further when Petrichor sought a worldwide freezing order against Bashar and Ultimate.
In March 2026, the English High Court granted the post-judgment freezing order after considering evidence concerning the risk of assets being dealt with in a way that could frustrate enforcement.
The order covered assets in multiple jurisdictions and related to the outstanding judgment debt arising from the unpaid petroleum product transactions and Bashar’s guarantee.
The court proceedings identified assets and business interests connected with Bashar in Nigeria, the United Arab Emirates, the United Kingdom and France.
The Nigerian enforcement action is therefore part of a wider, multi-jurisdictional effort by Petrichor to recover the sums awarded in the underlying litigation.
DIFC proceedings continue
The dispute has also generated proceedings before the Dubai International Financial Centre Courts.
In CFI 118/2025, Petrichor brought proceedings against Ultimate Oil & Gas and Bashar. The DIFC Court of First Instance rejected the defendants’ application to stay the proceedings under the DIFC Arbitration Law and directed that Petrichor’s application for immediate judgment could proceed.
The defendants subsequently obtained permission to appeal that decision, according to a June 9, 2026 order of the DIFC Courts.
The multiple proceedings underscore the increasingly international nature of the dispute, spanning Nigeria, England and Wales, Dubai and other jurisdictions.
Enforcement now shifts to Nigerian assets
The latest development brings the dispute directly into Nigeria, where the Federal High Court’s registration of the English judgment provides the basis for enforcement against assets within the country.
The writs of attachment and sale give effect to the Nigerian court’s enforcement process and represent a significant step in Petrichor’s attempt to recover the outstanding debt.
The case also highlights the growing importance of cross-border judgment enforcement in Nigeria’s oil trading sector, where transactions frequently involve companies, financing arrangements and assets spread across several jurisdictions.
For Rahamaniyya and Bashar, the immediate issue is whether the enforcement process will proceed against the identified Nigerian assets or be altered by further court applications or settlement arrangements.
For Petrichor, the objective remains recovery of the judgment debt arising from the petroleum product transactions.
The competing positions are now being tested through court-supervised enforcement proceedings in Nigeria and related litigation in other jurisdictions.