The Chief Judge of the Federal High Court, Justice John Tsoho, has been accused of attempting to secretly reassign a multi-billion-naira lawsuit involving Nestoil Limited and Neconde Energy Limited, allegedly after receiving a bribe from billionaire businessman Ernest Azudialu-Obiejesi.

SaharaReporters gathered that Justice Tsoho is reportedly pressuring for the case — currently before Justice Deinde Dipeolu of the Lagos Division — to be moved to one of his close allies, Justice Ambrose Lewis-Allagoa, following Justice Dipeolu’s refusal to compromise his ruling in favour of Nestoil and its affiliates.

Background of the Case

The legal dispute stems from a debt enforcement action filed by FBNQuest Merchant Bank Limited and First Trustees Limited against Nestoil Limited, Neconde Energy Limited, and their promoters, Ernest and Nnenna Obiejesi.

In October 2025, Justice Dipeolu granted a Mareva injunction restraining Nestoil and its directors from disposing of or tampering with their assets pending the determination of the suit. The court also ordered the freezing of the defendants’ bank accounts across over 20 banks and appointed Abubakar Sulu-Gambari (SAN) as Receiver/Manager to take over Nestoil’s headquarters in Victoria Island, Lagos.

The order empowered the Nigeria Police Force, Nigerian Navy, and State Security Service (SSS) to assist with enforcement, while directing the Nigerian Upstream Petroleum Regulatory Commission (NUPRC) and NNPCL to grant the Receiver access to Nestoil’s interest in Oil Mining Lease (OML) 42.

Alleged Interference from the Chief Judge

Top judicial insiders told SaharaReporters that Justice Tsoho became enraged after Justice Dipeolu issued the ruling based on merit rather than influence. The Chief Judge allegedly advised Obiejesi to submit a petition accusing Justice Dipeolu of bias, which would serve as a pretext for reassigning the matter.

“Justice Tsoho was unhappy that Dipeolu refused to bend to pressure. After the ruling, a bribe was allegedly paid, and Tsoho instructed Obiejesi to write a petition against the judge. That petition would then justify transferring the case to one of his loyalists, Justice Lewis-Allagoa,” a source familiar with the matter revealed.

The Petition and Controversy

In the petition dated October 31, 2025, and addressed to the Chief Judge, Obiejesi accused Justice Dipeolu of “bias and misconduct” in cases involving Nestoil, Neconde Energy, and other related companies. He claimed the judge granted “stifling and far-reaching” ex parte orders that unfairly favoured FBNQuest Merchant Bank and its co-plaintiffs.

The businessman also alleged that several of his company’s cases “mysteriously” ended up before Justice Dipeolu, describing the situation as “reckless bias” and calling for the case to be reassigned.

However, sources within the Federal High Court dismissed the petition as a fabricated strategy engineered by the Chief Judge’s office to justify a transfer.

“The petition is not organic — it was orchestrated to give administrative cover for moving the case,” one insider said. “This is part of a pattern: petitions are created to punish independent judges and reward those willing to comply with external influence.”

Judicial Manipulation Allegations

Observers note that rather than allowing the defendants to appeal Justice Dipeolu’s ruling through normal legal channels, the Chief Judge’s office is preparing to invoke administrative powers to reassign the case — a move legal experts describe as “highly irregular and suspicious.”

A senior Federal High Court official told SaharaReporters:

“Why entertain a petition over a judicial ruling when the Court of Appeal exists for that purpose? That’s not administration — it’s interference. It signals that something beyond procedure, possibly money, is driving the process.”

Multiple insiders also confirmed that Justice Tsoho and Obiejesi have maintained a close personal relationship, with the Chief Judge repeatedly linked to controversial reassignments of sensitive or high-value cases in the past.

“This is not new. Tsoho uses administrative powers to move politically or financially sensitive cases to judges who will deliver outcomes he wants,” another senior staff member alleged.

As of press time, SaharaReporters’ attempts to reach Justice Tsoho for comment were unsuccessful, as calls to his mobile phone went unanswered.