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Abuja, July 3, 2026 – The Supreme Court has handed General Hydrocarbons Limited (GHL) a landmark legal victory by ordering the immediate release of the crude oil aboard the FPSO Tamara Tokoni and overturning the judgment previously delivered by the Court of Appeal.

The decision, delivered on Friday by a unanimous five-member panel of the apex court, effectively ends the dispute over the ownership and control of the crude cargo and clarifies the boundaries of admiralty jurisdiction in Nigeria.

In its ruling, the Supreme Court directed the Chief Registrar of the Court of Appeal and the Admiralty Marshal to immediately release and hand over the crude oil on the FPSO Tamara Tokoni to General Hydrocarbons Limited.

The court further held that the suit filed by First Bank of Nigeria (FBN) was essentially a contractual dispute and therefore did not fall within the scope of admiralty proceedings. Consequently, the justices ruled that both the Federal High Court and the Court of Appeal lacked the legal authority to entertain the matter.

Having found that the lower courts acted without jurisdiction, the Supreme Court allowed the appeal brought by General Hydrocarbons and nullified the entire judgment of the Court of Appeal, describing the decision as perverse.

The lead judgment was delivered by Justice Habib Abiru on behalf of the panel, which also included Justices Uwani Musa Aba-Aji, Mohammed Baba Idris Salawa, Emmanuel Agim and Chidiebere Uwa.

The verdict is being viewed as a significant judicial pronouncement on the distinction between contractual and admiralty matters and is expected to have far-reaching implications for future commercial and maritime disputes in Nigeria.

For General Hydrocarbons Limited, the ruling represents the culmination of a protracted legal battle and secures its claim to the crude oil aboard the FPSO Tamara Tokoni, bringing the contentious dispute to a definitive close.