Court Appoints Liquidator for Dantata & Sawoe Over Unpaid Debt

A Federal High Court sitting in Abuja has appointed a liquidator to wind up Dantata & Sawoe Construction Company Limited after the firm failed to settle a long-standing debt exceeding one million dollars owed to Zutari Consulting Nigeria Limited.

The judge ruled that the construction company had been granted multiple opportunities to resolve the liability but continued to present excuses rather than complete payment. The decision followed earlier court-approved notices in which a winding-up petition was advertised in national newspapers.

The dispute stems from a subcontract on the Dangote Fertilizer Plant project in Lekki, where Zutari Consulting was engaged to execute engineering design and related works. After completing the job, the consulting firm said it was owed more than a million dollars, in addition to amounts in South African rands and British pounds. The disagreement was taken to arbitration before the International Chamber of Commerce, where an award was issued in favour of Zutari in 2021.

While Dantata & Sawoe later argued before the court that the petition should be struck out due to jurisdictional issues and ongoing settlement talks, the judge noted that three separate adjournments had already been granted for the company to honour its obligations, yet it failed to do so.

During the latest hearing, the petitioner stated that the firm’s entitlements far exceeded the seventy-five percent settlement offer proposed by Dantata & Sawoe. After considering both sides, the court granted the request to appoint Joseph Abiolu, FCA, as liquidator to commence winding-up procedures under the relevant provisions of the Companies and Allied Matters Act.

The court also acknowledged the existence of an appeal filed by Dantata & Sawoe, but maintained that the unresolved debt and repeated delays justified the appointment of a liquidator. The matter has been adjourned to early 2026 for the presentation of the liquidator’s report.