Niger Delta Group Demands Release Of Chappal Energies MD

A group, Niger Delta Civil Advocacy Group (NDCAG), has called for the immediate release of the managing director of Chappal Energies, Mr Ufoma Joseph Immanuel.

It also demanded an independent review of the circumstances surrounding his continued detention and prosecution.

The group made the demand in a protest letter dated September 1, 2026, addressed to President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, alleging that a private commercial dispute involving Immanuel and businessman Adebisi Adebutu had been turned into a criminal justice matter.

A statement jointly signed by officials of NDCAG): Comrade Embale Jonathan, president of Bayelsa State; Hon. Omeiza Ogumah, secretary Edo State; Comrade Ibinabo Boma, publicity secretary Rivers State; Hon. Lord Okoro Delta State; Xavier Francis Udo, Akwa Ibom State and Holy Austin Cross River State, said the dispute centres on commercial investment arrangements involving Chappal Energies Mauritius Limited, Intermediate and Investment Holdings Limited, R28 Limited and Adebutu, in connection with investments linked to the acquisition of Equinor Nigeria’s assets.

According to the group, the issues include disputed shareholding arrangements, subscription rights, investment obligations, financing arrangements and competing corporate interests, which it described as fundamentally commercial matters.

The advocacy group cited two court cases in support of its position, including a 2025 suit before the Federal Capital Territory (FCT)High Court, which it said granted an interlocutory order restraining the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) and the Nigeria Police Force (NPF)from arresting, detaining or prosecuting Immanuel in relation to the disputed commercial arrangements.

It also cited a 10th February, 2026, judgment of the Federal High Court in Lagos, which it said found the EFCC’s publication declaring Immanuel wanted to be unjustified and a violation of his fundamental rights.
NDCAG said the court ordered the commission to retract the publications and awarded N5 million in damages against it.

It further alleged that Adebutu’s petition to the EFCC triggered the criminal proceedings and raised concerns over what it described as potential commercial benefits accruing to his side from Immanuel’s continued absence from the management of the affected companies.

The group, however, acknowledged that some of the allegations against Adebutu, including an alleged threat concerning Immanuel’s safety if he refused to surrender shares, remained unverified and required independent investigation. It called for an inquiry into whether Adebutu had exerted improper influence, directly or through intermediaries, over any state institution involved in the matter.

The organisation also questioned the continued detention of Immanuel, noting that he had voluntarily honoured an invitation from the Department of State Services on 3 March 2026, and subsequently complied with a court order requiring him to deposit his Nigerian and British passports with the EFCC.

NDCAG said Immanuel’s bail was revoked on 7 May 2026, reportedly on grounds including the possibility that he was a flight risk and could interfere with the EFCC investigation. The group questioned the basis for the flight-risk argument, given his alleged cooperation with the authorities and the surrender of his passports. The group also urged authorities to ensure that Immanuel receives immediate and comprehensive medical care while in custody, stressing that detention should not deprive an individual of necessary medical attention.

It called on the Nigeria Police Force and the Department of State Services to investigate reported threats against Immanuel and his family and to take appropriate measures to protect them.

NDCAG appealed to President Tinubu to direct the Attorney-General of the Federation and Minister of Justice to urgently review the case and determine whether the continued prosecution and detention are consistent with existing judicial findings and orders.

It also asked the authorities to establish whether the EFCC had complied with all relevant court orders and whether the criminal process was being used to exert pressure in a private commercial dispute.

Among its demands, the group sought Immanuel’s immediate release, subject to any lawful conditions imposed by a competent court; full medical care; an explanation from the EFCC regarding its continued pursuit of the case; and the discontinuation of the criminal proceedings if no sustainable criminal case exists.

The advocacy group stressed that its appeal was not intended to interfere with judicial independence, but to ensure that executive agencies operate within the Constitution and the law, obey lawful court orders and protect citizens’ fundamental rights.

It said the matter posed a test of public confidence in Nigeria’s administration of justice, insisting that a citizen’s liberty should not be used as a bargaining chip in a commercial dispute.