February 13, 2026 — SUNTV Global Channel Report
In a dramatic and far-reaching ruling, the Court of Appeal of Nigeria sitting in Lagos has temporarily barred the Attorney General of the Federation and the Nigeria Police Force from appearing in any Nigerian court in matters relating to Woobs Resources Limited, citing persistent disobedience to valid court orders.
The landmark judgment, delivered by Justice Frederick Oziakpono Oho, came in an appeal filed by lawyer Victor Ukutt against the Federal Republic of Nigeria and other parties, including Fidelity Bank Plc.
The appellate court ruled that the Federal Government and its agencies engaged in a clear abuse of court process by initiating criminal proceedings despite existing and subsisting court orders.
According to the judgment, the government filed multiple cases across different courts while appeals on the same issues were still pending — a move the court described as harassment and interference with justice.
Justice Oho stressed that courts must protect their integrity, warning that allowing such conduct would undermine the entire judicial system.
The court declared that any action caught in “an intractable nest of abuse of process” must be dismissed.
As a result, the court struck out all six criminal charges against Ukutt and other defendants, ruling them incompetent and legally unsustainable.
The ruling reaffirmed that earlier orders issued in 2011 in a dispute involving Woobs Resources and the Asset Management Corporation of Nigeria remain valid.
Those orders — later upheld by the appellate court — restrained actions concerning the company’s shares and finances.
The court held that government agencies ignored these standing orders when they proceeded to file criminal charges.
In one of the most consequential aspects of the judgment, the court ruled that until existing orders are fully obeyed, the AGF and police cannot be heard in any Nigerian court on matters concerning Woobs Resources.
The court also referenced an ongoing case before the Federal High Court in Abuja seeking to restrain further investigations, noting that the case is already being handled by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission.
The court criticized the government for filing overlapping civil and criminal actions across several courts — including matters still pending before the Supreme Court of Nigeria.
Justice Oho said this strategy appeared aimed at scuttling justice rather than pursuing lawful prosecution.
The case had earlier drawn attention after criminal charges were dropped against Fidelity Bank’s Managing Director, Nneka Onyeali-Ikpe.
The AGF’s office stated that after reviewing evidence, it found no direct link between her and the alleged financial wrongdoing tied to Woobs Resources accounts.
In its final decision, the Court of Appeal dismissed all criminal charges against Ukutt and co-defendants, describing the prosecution as:
- A clear abuse of judicial process
- A violation of subsisting court orders
- An attempt to undermine ongoing legal proceedings
The ruling is already being described by legal analysts as one of the strongest judicial rebukes of government conduct in recent Nigerian legal history.
