Oil mogul seeks court order to halt “illegal passport’ trial

By Vivian Okejeme

A prominent oil businessman Benedict Peters has approached the Federal High Court in Abuja to stop his ongoing prosecution at an FCT Magistrate Court over the alleged unlawful possession and use of an official Nigerian passport.
Peters, the founder of Aiteo Energy and Vice Chairman of Nembe Exploration and Production Company Limited, filed an application for judicial review seeking to quash the Direct Criminal Complaint initiated against him by a private investigation firm.
The prosecution alleges that Peters, who currently resides in Ghana, is in unlawful possession of official Nigerian passport number F00017845—a restricted travel document strictly reserved for specific government officials and diplomats.
According to court documents, the businessman faces allegations of violating Section 96 of the Penal Code Law (punishable under Section 97), which relates to conspiracy, alongside potential charges of impersonation and forgery.
He is accused of conspiring with compromised officers of the Nigeria Immigration Service (NIS) to procure the official passport using false representations.
Police sources state that the 59-year-old businessman has repeatedly failed to honor multiple invitations for questioning regarding the matter.
Through his legal team, Peters filed an application under Order 43 Rule 5 of the High Court of the FCT (Civil Procedure) Rules 2025.
He is asking the Federal High Court to issue an order of certiorari to take over and quash the proceedings at the Magistrate Court, Zone 6, Abuja.
Additionally, Peters is seeking to dismiss the criminal complaint entirely and nullify any referral letters issued to the Nigeria Police Force for investigation, arguing that the Magistrate Court lacks the jurisdiction to hear the case.