The Nigeria Immigration Service (NIS) has withdrawn criminal charges filed against Seplat Energy Plc and its Board at the Federal High Court, Abuja.
NIS, acting on behalf of the Federal Government, discontinued the case on April 6, 2023.
While filing the case, it was given wide publicity but the withdrawal/discontinuation of the charges remained unannounced.
A source has queried the inconsistencies contained in the charge. “On the one hand, it was alleged that its Chief Executive Officer was employed without a work permit. On the other hand, it was alleged that the Board encouraged the Chief Executive Officer to accept employment without a work permit.
“Nigeria Immigration Service alleged that it withdrew the work permit on March 3, 2023, and alleged that the Chief Executive Officer accepted employment without a work permit. When the entire industry knew that he was working with a work permit since 2013. Since the withdrawal of his work permit, he has been abroad in compliance with the law and as a believer in due process.
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“How then could he be said to be working in contravention of the law when he has not been in Nigeria to undertake employment or duties as the Chief Executive Officer?
“All of these are glaring contradictions by the Nigeria Immigration Service on the unfounded allegations of some persons said to be unknown third parties,” the source said.
According to court sources, the defendants were yet to be served with the charge, and a Notice of Withdrawal or Discontinuance of the Charge was filed the same day, April 6, 2023, the charge was filed in court.
It was alleged that the withdrawal of the charge was founded on what some have termed the contradictions in the charge filed by a Federal Government agency, the Nigerian Immigration Service, given that the Chief Executive Officer was appointed as Chief Executive in August 2020, and had served as the Chief Financial Officer since July 2013.