The Lagos State High Court sitting in Ikeja has discharged and acquitted the Managing Director of Lionstone Offshore Services Limited, Mr Amaechi Ndili, his co-defendant, Mrs Njide Chizoba Ndili, and the two companies of all charges arising from a disputed $4,666million claim by Hercules Offshore Nigeria Limited. The court ruled that the prosecution failed to establish a prima facie case against any of the defendants on the four-count charge.
Justice O. O. Abike-Fadipe delivered the judgment on Wednesday, September 16, 2026, upholding the defendants’ no-case submission. The judge found that the criminal proceedings amounted to an abuse of court process, particularly against the background that the dispute over the money had previously been subjected to arbitration and subsequent judicial proceedings.
The defendants had been charged with conspiracy to steal, stealing by dishonest conversion, stealing funds held under direction, and stealing by persons having an interest in the property allegedly stolen. The prosecution alleged that between July 2012 and September 2013, the defendants dishonestly converted the $4,666,234.28 received from Addax Petroleum Development Nigeria Limited in connection with a contractual arrangement involving Lionstone Offshore Services Limited and Hercules Offshore Nigeria Limited.
The defendants, however, consistently maintained that the Addax contract was separate and independent from the Joint Bidding Agreement relied upon by Hercules. They contended that Hercules had no contractual, legal, equitable, beneficial or proprietary interest in the disputed sum, which they said arose from the separate Addax contract.
During the trial, the prosecution called three witnesses and tendered several exhibits before closing its case on December 9, 2025. The defendants subsequently filed a no-case submission, arguing that the evidence placed before the court did not establish any criminal offence or provide sufficient basis for them to enter a defence. Justice Abike-Fadipe reviewed the principles governing no-case submissions and held that the prosecution was required to present legally admissible evidence linking the defendants to the alleged offences.
The court also considered the history of the dispute, noting that the disputed sum had already been the subject of arbitration and subsequent judicial proceedings. The judge questioned the involvement of the police in a dispute for which the parties had already invoked the agreed civil dispute-resolution process, adding that the Nigeria Police Force was not an agency for recovering disputed sums.
Having found that there was no legally sufficient evidence requiring the defendants to answer the charges, the court upheld the no-case submission and discharged and acquitted Ndili, Njide Chizoba Ndili, Lionstone Offshore Services Limited, and Lionstone Company Limited on all four counts.
Key points
- The Lagos State High Court acquitted the Managing Director of Lionstone Offshore Services Limited and his co-defendants of all charges related to a disputed $4.66m claim.
- The court ruled that the prosecution failed to establish a prima facie case against any of the defendants.
- The judge found that the criminal proceedings amounted to an abuse of court process.
