Bizman’s Lawyers Decries Alleged EFCC Media Trial Over Civil Dispute

Lawyers to the Chief Executive Officer of Dateline Energy Services Limited (DESL), Wilson Opuwei, have described recent media reports allegedly linked to the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) about their client’s professional reputation as misleading and prejudicial.

In a press statement issued by Michael Jonathan Numa (SAN) of M.J. Numa & Partners LLP, the lawyers asserted that Justice Lateef Lawal-Akapo of the Lagos State High Court had, in a judgment, declared the dispute between Opuwei and Prince Donatus Okonkwo as purely civil, with no criminal element.

The senior lawyer stated that the court made a clear, detailed, and unequivocal determination that the dispute is “purely civil,” involving a claim for money had and received, with “no criminal offence whatsoever.”

The statement reiterated that 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.

He therefore warned that media platforms framing the case as fraud must respect the Court’s clear ruling rather than indulge in sensationalism or create a dangerous trial-by-media environment.

Such coverage, the lawyer argued, when issued during the pendency of active judicial proceedings, is capable of undermining the authority and dignity of the Court, prejudicing the parties’ right to a fair, impartial, and independent adjudication, and creating public narratives untethered from judicial fact or legal determination.

He said, “Opuwei has at all times conducted himself in strict deference to the rule of law. He has voluntarily submitted to the Court’s jurisdiction, 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, as Mr Opuwei and Dateline Energy Services Limited approach final investment decisions (FID) on new and strategic energy projects in Nigeria. The publication of unsubstantiated allegations framed in criminal terms has 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,” he stated.