The Nigeria Liquefied Natural Gas (NLNG) Limited has asked a Federal High Court sitting in Lagos to commit the authorities of the Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency (NIMASA) and the Attorney General of the Federation (AGF) to prison for "having disobeyed or neglected to obey the order of the court made on June 18, 2013."
This was contained in the contempt proceedings filed against the NIMASA by the LNLG.
LNLG alleged that Justice Mohammed Idris of a Federal High Court in Lagos had granted an order restraining the AGF, NIMASA, Global West Vessel Specialists Nigeria Limited (GWVSNL) and other government agencies from further detaining or preventing the chartered vessels of the NLNG from carrying out import and export of gas through the Bonny channel or elsewhere in Nigeria.
The injunction was allegedly given on June 18, 2013 as an ex parte order.
It was further contended that interim injunction and the originating processes in the suit had been duly served by the bailiffs of the court on the AGF and GWVSNL, which is an agent of NIMASA on June 20, 2013 and June 19, 2013, respectively.
The NLNG said notwithstanding the order, the respondents have caused their agents, privies and other third parties, including NIMASA to flout this interim order of the court.
NLNG said: "On June 21, 2013 at about 5pm, about 15 officers and men of the Nigerian Navy in two NIMASA patrol boats accosted the NLNG security patrol team at the NLNG waterfront and ordered that the applicant's vessel, LNG Imo and a chartered vessel, Torm Thames remain at the NLNG loading bay, while LNG Oyo should remain at the Bonny Channel until further notice.
National Mirror