The Federal High Court in Abuja has issued an interim order stopping the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) from investigating or taking enforcement actions against Jones Creek Hydrocarbon Limited, a company linked to the Nestoil Group.

The court directed the EFCC to refrain from disrupting the company’s operations, freezing its bank accounts, or seeking forfeiture and Mareva injunctions pending the hearing of a substantive application before it. The order was granted on 25 February and will remain in force until the court decides the motion on notice.

Jones Creek Hydrocarbon is the technical operator of Oil Mining Lease (OML) 42, an oil asset jointly owned by the Nigerian government and private partners. The company told the court that any interference with its operations could negatively affect crude oil production and damage critical equipment and personnel arrangements.

Justice P.O. Lifu also restrained several banks, including First Bank of Nigeria, Access Bank and Zenith Bank, as well as the court-appointed receiver, from petitioning law enforcement agencies or taking steps that could trigger investigations against the company. The financial institutions are creditors in an ongoing debt recovery dispute involving Nestoil and its affiliate, Neconde Energy.

In its suit, Jones Creek argued that under the Petroleum Industry Act 2021, no government agency can take actions that directly affect upstream oil operations without consulting the relevant regulator. The company also maintained that the EFCC should not be used as a debt recovery tool in matters already before the courts.

The case is part of a wider legal battle over multibillion-naira debts involving Nestoil and Neconde, which has seen conflicting court orders, receivership actions and appeals up to the Supreme Court.

The Federal High Court has fixed 11 March to hear further arguments on whether the interim order should be sustained.