The Nigerian Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority, NMDPRA, and Dangote Petroleum Refinery are locked in a legal battle over the regulator’s order to halt propane loading at the refinery.
The matter came before the Federal High Court in Lagos on Wednesday. NMDPRA asked the court to lift an interim order stopping it from enforcing the suspension, while Dangote accused the regulator of overstepping its powers.
On August 31, Justice Akintayo Aluko granted an interim order restraining NMDPRA and its officials from entering, sealing, shutting down, inspecting, or sanctioning the refinery until the main case is heard.
*What NMDPRA is alleging*
Through its lawyer, Matthew Burkaa, NMDPRA told the court the order was obtained by “misrepresentation and suppression of material facts.” It also questioned the court’s jurisdiction, saying Dangote had not filed a proper motion on notice.
The regulator said it suspended propane loading after investigations found alleged diversion of propane trucks to unlicensed buyers and illegal blending at some LPG plants.
NMDPRA said lab tests on LPG samples from Selai, Tewa and Ameego Pago plants showed propane content above 50%. Industry standard, it said, allows a maximum of 20% propane, with butane making up about 80%.
Officials of the three plants reportedly named Sublime Oil and Gas Limited, an off-taker from Dangote Refinery, as their propane source. That led NMDPRA to launch a wider audit.
The authority also claimed its team was denied access to inspect loading records at Dangote Refinery on August 24. It then issued a notice of potential non-compliance and ordered a suspension pending further safety checks.
According to NMDPRA, truck-out records showed major gaps. Sublime Oil and Gas lifted 25 trucks for Navgas/Agasco on August 20 and 22, but Navgas said it only received 6. The remaining 19 could not be accounted for.
The regulator also cited another case where 52 trucks were said to have been loaded for Navgas between May and August 2026, but Navgas confirmed none arrived.
NMDPRA warned that diverting propane to unauthorized buyers poses safety risks, especially if used for LPG blending outside approved standards. It added that propane from Dangote and other plants had a vapour pressure of about 13 bar, far above the 7-bar maximum for standard LPG mix, which could cause explosions in plants not built for it.
Dangote Group’s spokesman, Anthony Chiejina, dismissed the claims. He said NMDPRA officials inspected and certified the propane before it left the refinery.
“We have NMDPRA staff in the refinery. They certified the product as okay. A company came with its own truck to pick it up, not our truck. You later arrested the truck elsewhere and said it was carrying adulterated propane. How is that our problem after you certified it?” Chiejina asked.
He accused the regulator of “an absolute abuse of power” and “a diabolical sense of control,” which he said forced Dangote to go to court.
Chiejina also asked NMDPRA to produce its records and questioned why Dangote should be responsible for what off-takers do after purchase. “Where the truck owner goes with his truck is not our business,” he said.
*Court proceedings*
Dangote’s counsel, Wale Akoni, SAN, told the court he had just been served NMDPRA’s counter-affidavit and asked for an adjournment to respond. NMDPRA did not oppose but stressed the urgency due to safety concerns.
Justice Aluko said he could not give a new date because his vacation tenure ends on Friday. He said the administrative judge would reassign the case.
The judge extended the interim order, ruling: “It shall continue to subsist and shall be in force till the hearing and determination of the motion on notice, or until the court gives further directive.”
He ordered the case file returned to the registry for assignment to a regular court.
For now, NMDPRA remains restrained from interfering with Dangote Refinery’s operations while the court decides the substantive issues around propane quality, handling, and alleged truck diversions.