Macobarb CEO Allegedly Arrested over Contract Scam

Blessing Ibunge

The Nigeria Liquefied Natural Gas (NLNG) has allegedly arrested an indigenous contractor, Shedrack Ogboru of Macobarb International Limited.

The contractor who recently dragged the NLNG and its principal officers to court over alleged breach of contract was said to have been arrested in Port Harcourt, Rivers State and flown to Abuja.

An official of Macobarb who called from London alerted journalists that their CEO was arrested last Friday by a truckload of armed policemen traced to the Rumuokoro Police Division led by two officers from Force CID in Abuja.

Macobarb has been locked in a running battle with the NLNG since 2014, when its contract was terminated.

The company had alleged that the NLNG breached the terms of the contract and allegedly frustrated the prosecution of the job through consistent payment denials.

After complaining to federal and state agencies, Macobarb pressed for criminal charges No PMC/1015/CS/2021 against the then MD of NLNG, Tony Attah, and head of legal, Akachukwu Nwokedi, holding them liable for what he called misrepresenting of the terms of contract to obtain value from Macobarb.

A Port Harcourt Chief Magistrate’s Court had ordered the Rivers State police to investigate the complaint and submit a report. The police began the process but stopped. The inability to submit a report despite court order led to the court striking out of the case on March 15, 2022.

Macobarb thereafter petitioned the Inspector General of Police who was said to have ordered the Rivers command to obey the court order.

However, some reliable sources the CEO who was allegedly arrested, was later released in Abuja.

Efforts to get the management of NLNG react on the development proved abortive, as calls put across to some of the senior staff were not returned as at the time of filing this report.