NestOil has accused police operatives of causing extensive damage to its Lagos head office, disrupting crude shipments and inflicting severe reputational harm during an enforcement action that company officials insist was grounded in an ex parte court order misapplied beyond its legal limits.
Speaking in an interview with ARISE NEWs on Saturday, NestOil Head of Communications, Walter Bossman, said NestOil regained access to the building only after the intervention of the Inspector General of Police.
Bossman explained that despite a court order directing vacation of the premises, police officers refused to leave. According to him, “the order to vacate was given, you know, as of Thursday this week, and we got to the office on Friday morning with the court bailiffs and the police refused us entry. He added that staff members were “harassed and tear gassed as well.”
Detailing the scale of damage, he said officers defaced the state of the art green-certified building, “our offices were defaced, you know. They sprayed graffiti all over the building. They spray painted the cameras so that we would not see what they were doing. They practically lived in our building.”
Bossman also revealed that “there were mattresses in the reception area. They were sleeping and eating and doing all sorts of things over there.”
The disruption hit operations significantly. Bossman disclosed that “the whole process stood on our production, massively and for NNPC as well,” adding that “we have over a million barrels of crude oil, you know, that was delayed for shipping for two days.”
He said the company is still compiling losses but stressed the long term reputational impact, noting that “the reputational damage to our brand, I will not call it irreparable, but it is firmly there.”
General Counsel Abimbola Atitebi said the building does not belong to NestOil but is occupied under an arrangement with its owners, who he said were “completely mystified and upset about the developments.” He added that the damage included “spray painting, tons of tiles being destroyed” in what he described as one of Nigeria’s most sophisticated green buildings.
Atitebi clarified that the court order used to justify the occupation was merely preservatory, saying “the nature of the orders that were obtained in the first place were ex parte. Those orders by their nature are only preservatory until the parties are properly before the court.”
He stressed that the use of the order “can only just be imagined,” referencing delayed crude shipment and the circulation of false publications: “someone just lifted pictures off the internet and then slapped it on a letterhead and started making publications in our name.”
Responding to questions about the involvement of security agencies, Atitebi noted that the Department of State Security acted properly, saying “the moment the court vacated that order, they pulled out of the premises,” adding that “in this proceeding, they actually have been one of the stellar performers.” He contrasted this with the police, who remained until the IGP intervened.
On operational and environmental risks, he warned that “there were attempts to go into the field, which could have caused immense environmental damages,” stressing that oil extraction must follow strict safety protocols.
Atitebi also raised concerns about the wider impact on Nigeria’s investment climate, especially with international investors monitoring developments. He said “it sends a bad signal when high ranking officials of the state are working at counter purposes with the government at the centre,” noting that such actions do not align with executive directives aimed at boosting oil and gas investment.
Both officials expressed optimism that operations would resume normally, with Bossman saying “everybody is happy, you know, we are looking forward to a great Christmas now,” while maintaining that legal challenges and formal submissions would continue in court.
NestOil insisted that it complied with every court directive and expects all responsible authorities to ensure accountability for what transpired.
Erizia Rubyjeana
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