A Federal High Court in Nigeria has ordered oil company Oriental Energy to pay $43.51 million to twin sisters Ameena and Zara Indimi, marking a major legal defeat for billionaire oil entrepreneur Mohammed Indimi.
The ruling follows a prolonged family dispute over unpaid dividends, which the sisters say arose after their shareholding in the company was reduced without their consent.

According to court filings, the twins maintained that they jointly owned 10% of Oriental Energy and were therefore entitled to a portion of a large dividend payout linked to the company’s offshore oil operations.

The disagreement reportedly intensified when the sisters were excluded from a dividend distribution estimated at more than $400 million. They argued that changes to the company’s share structure effectively blocked them from receiving earnings due to them as shareholders.

In its judgment, the court agreed that the dividends were owed and ordered the company to pay the full $43.51 million claimed. While details of how the sum was calculated were not fully disclosed, the decision significantly strengthens the sisters’ position as the case moves into its next phase.

The verdict has pushed what was once a private family matter into the public spotlight, drawing widespread attention because of the sums involved and the prominence of the Indimi family in Nigeria’s oil industry. Oriental Energy is one of the country’s most influential privately held oil firms, and its internal affairs have traditionally remained out of public view.

Reports suggest the dispute may extend beyond the twin sisters, with other family members said to be involved in related disagreements over ownership stakes, past payments and whether earlier financial settlements should be treated as gifts or as final buyouts of dividend rights.

Legal observers say the ruling could still be challenged on appeal, or face delays during enforcement, potentially stretching the battle over several months. Even so, the decision has already altered the balance of power within both the family and the company.