Malabu Oil and Gas dispute escalates as the company demands correction and apology over alleged inaccuracies in The Africa Report OPL 245 story

Malabu Oil and Gas Limited on Tuesday issued a formal and strongly worded response to The Africa Report magazine, published by Jeune Afrique Media Group in Paris, France, over what the company described as “certain inaccuracies” in a recent article concerning litigation linked to Oil Prospecting License 245 (OPL 245).

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The dispute centres on an article titled “Malabu Court Action Clouds Tinubu Resolved OPL 245”, which Malabu Oil and Gas Limited said had been widely circulated online and contained misleading representations about the company and key individuals connected to the matter.

In a letter signed by Joseph Amaran on behalf of the company and addressed to Nicholas Norbrook and Patrick Smith, Malabu Oil and Gas dispute concerns were raised over the use of the name and image of Chief Dan Etete, whom the company said is no longer part of its management, ownership structure, or legal representation.

The company argued that the inclusion of Chief Dan Etete’s likeness created a misleading impression of his involvement in ongoing legal matters, stating that such portrayal risks damaging both his reputation and the integrity of the organisation.

Malabu Oil and Gas Limited further rejected the implication that it is engaged in legal proceedings against the Federal Government of Nigeria, insisting that it is not currently a party to any such action.

According to the letter, the company claimed that ongoing court proceedings referenced in the article were being pursued by individuals it described as impostors without legitimate interest in the OPL 245 matter.

It urged law enforcement authorities to intervene to protect what it called legitimate stakeholders.

The statement also called on The Africa Report to verify its sources and issue corrections to the contested publication, describing the alleged inaccuracies as capable of misleading the public on sensitive legal and corporate issues.

In a notably firm tone, Malabu Oil and Gas Limited demanded an unreserved apology within seven days, warning that failure to comply would result in legal action.

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The publication, issued by Jeune Afrique Media Group in Paris, has not yet issued a public response to the allegations at the time of reporting.