M.J. Numa & Partners LLP, acting as legal counsel to Mr. Wilson Opuwei, has issued a formal public statement on his express instruction to address recent media publications attributed to the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), which have created misleading and prejudicial impressions regarding our Opuwei’s professional integrity and the true legal character of a matter currently pending before a court of competent jurisdiction.
According to the statement signed by Michael Johnthan Numa, SAN, on behalf of M.J. Numa & Partners LLP, the High Court of Lagos State, presided over by His Lordship, Hon. Justice L. A. Akapo (as he then was, prior to his elevation to the Court of Appeal), made a clear, reasoned, and unequivocal finding that the subject matter of the dispute in the Suit No: LD/62455GCMW/2024 in Prince Donatus Okonkwo v. Wilson Opuwei & Dateline Energy Services Limited, Is purely civil in nature, borders on a claim for money had and received, and does not disclose any criminal offence whatsoever.
“This matter has been judicially determined to be civil in character, not criminal in nature, and it is imperative that public discourse aligns with the clear and subsisting ruling of the Court rather than speculative or sensational narratives,” said Michael Johnthan Numa, SAN, of M.J. Numa & Partners LLP
The judicial pronouncement affirms a settled and fundamental principle of law: that disputes arising from commercial engagements, investment arrangements, or stalled business transactions are properly resolved through civil adjudication and commercial remedies—not criminal enforcement mechanisms.
Mr. Opuwei presently serves as the Chief Executive Officer of Dateline Energy Services Limited (DESL) and holds directorship positions across a group of affiliated entities actively engaged in strategic energy development initiatives within Nigeria’s hydrocarbons and infrastructure sectors.Despite the subsisting judicial determination on its civil character, certain media publications have emerged attributed to or associated with the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) portraying the matter as involving fraud or criminal wrongdoing.
“Our client has unwavering confidence in the integrity of the judicial process and will continue to submit himself fully to the authority of the Court, while cautioning against any form of trial by media that risks undermining investor confidence and the rule of law, ” Numa said.
These publications are materially inconsistent with the ruling of the Court and raise serious concerns regarding the growing and dangerous phenomenon of trial by media.Such reporting, when issued during the pendency of active judicial proceedings, is capable of undermining the authority and dignity of the Court, prejudicing the right of the parties to a fair, impartial, and independent adjudication, and creating public narratives untethered from judicial fact or legal determination.
Mr. Opuwei has at all times conducted himself in strict deference to the rule of law. He has voluntarily submitted to the jurisdiction of the Court, participated fully in the judicial process, and remains firmly committed to resolving all issues arising from the transaction through lawful, transparent, and constitutionally protected means.
At a critical moment when Mr. Opuwei and Dateline Energy Services Limited are approaching Final Investment Decisions (FID) on new and strategic energy investments in Nigeria, the publication of unsubstantiated allegations framed in criminal terms carries implications far beyond reputational harm as it risks creating adverse investor optics, undermining market confidence, and projecting uncertainty into Nigeria’s broader energy and investment ecosystem.
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