LAGOS — A fierce legal battle over the enforcement of a ₦19.4 billion arbitration award has erupted into a courtroom power play, with fresh allegations of forum shopping, judicial intimidation, and abuse of court process rocking the Lagos State judiciary.
At the centre of the storm is Senior Advocate of Nigeria and former NBA President, Mr. Paul Usoro, whose law firm represents SANEF Creatives Ltd., a company owned by the Bankers’ Committee of the Central Bank of Nigeria, CBN.
Usoro’s legal manoeuvres, including a series of petitions and multiple suits on the same subject matter, have drawn fire from Hanson Dredging & Marine Services Ltd., the beneficiary of the arbitral award.
The dispute arose from a terminated dredging and reclamation contract at the National Theatre, Lagos, originally signed in November 2021. Hanson Dredging, represented by Dr. Charles Mekwunye, SAN, had initiated arbitration in 2023 after SANEF allegedly breached the agreement by claiming the project timeline had expired, despite COVID-19-related delays.
VDM vs EFCC: The Saga Ends with a Wink and a Bail Bond
In a final ruling delivered on December 30, 2024, Sole Arbitrator Ayo Fanimokun held that SANEF unlawfully terminated the contract after Hanson had completed over 60% of the work. He awarded Hanson ₦19.4 billion in damages.
Following the award, Hanson sought enforcement through Suit No. LD/6707GCM/2023, which was later reassigned to Justice O. A. Sunmonu by the Chief Judge of Lagos. However, SANEF, through Paul Usoro & Co., filed two additional suits—Suit Nos. LD/8056GCM/2024 and LD/9221GCM/2025—raising legal concerns about multiplicity of actions.
In a controversial twist, Usoro’s firm petitioned the Chief Judge, Justice Kazeem Alogba, seeking to consolidate all three suits before Justice Olukolu—the same judge previously removed from the enforcement case.
In a letter dated 26 May 2025, Usoro accused Justice Sunmonu of “unrestrained ambition” and “judicial tyranny,” alleging bias and procedural overreach.
The move triggered sharp response from Hanson Dredging’s counsel, Dr. Mekwunye, who denounced Usoro’s petition as “scandalous, unprofessional, and aimed at intimidating the bench.”
Shock As Anambra Apprentice Impregnates 10 Girls
He warned that no litigant has the right to choose which judge hears a case, insisting that judicial assignments lie solely with the Chief Judge.
“The attempt to manipulate the court assignment system and dictate which judge hears what suit is a direct affront to the independence of the judiciary,” Mekwunye said in his response.
“This is not only forum shopping—it is an attempt to put the court system on trial.”
Mekwunye accused SANEF and its counsel of seeking to delay enforcement through abuse of court process, filing overlapping suits, and bombarding the judiciary with petitions in an effort to obstruct justice.
He noted that one of Usoro’s petitions even alleged tampering with court records, a claim Mekwunye described as serious and potentially criminal, but unrelated to the main suit and improperly used to derail proceedings.
At the heart of Hanson’s concern is the integrity of the enforcement process. Mekwunye argued that the April 17, 2025 proceedings before Justice Sunmonu were properly convened to hear Hanson’s enforcement motion and SANEF’s preliminary objection.
However, Usoro allegedly used the session to announce a new suit to set aside the award and requested an adjournment based on pending petitions to the Chief Judge.
No Video? No Problem. Waystream Lets You Stream Audio Like a Pro
Mekwunye objected, asserting that a letter to the Chief Judge cannot halt proceedings, nor should it override a valid motion for enforcement. “The court cannot be held hostage by threats or allegations designed to buy time,” he said.
He further cited appellate decisions, including Emperion v. Aflon and Ngere v. Okuruket, to buttress the argument that consolidation cannot be forced and must be consensual.
“The attempt to unilaterally collapse three separate suits into one courtroom is not judicial efficiency—it’s a smokescreen,” he added.
Describing the multiple suits and petitions as a coordinated strategy, Mekwunye urged the Chief Judge not to yield to pressure.
“We appeal to His Lordship not to lend the weight of your exalted office to a law firm behaving as a law unto itself—filing several suits, nominating a preferred judge, and attacking the judiciary under your watch,” he said.
Judiciary at a Crossroad: Ubani Warns of Crisis Without Urgent Reform
As tensions escalate, the Chief Judge of Lagos faces a delicate balancing act between judicial integrity and growing calls for intervention. Legal observers say the case may redefine how far litigants and law firms can go in influencing court processes—raising broader questions about the independence of the judiciary in high-stakes commercial disputes.
–
