The Nigeria Revenue Service (NRS) has initiated criminal proceedings against Sterling Global Oil Resources Limited (SGORL) and its Chief Executive Officer, Deepak Baro, over petroleum royalty obligations and an alleged nine-year tax exposure connected to Oil Mining Lease (OML) 146.
According to a charge sheet marked FHC/ABJ/CR/530/2026 seen exclusively by Nairametrics, the agency alleges that the company and its CEO failed to comply with a notice issued under Section 57 of the Nigeria Tax Administration Act, 2025.
The notice required the defendants to produce books, documents, records and information relating to their petroleum royalty obligations for OML 146 covering the period from January 1, 2016 to December 31, 2025. The agency stated that a reminder notice dated June 15, 2026 was also forwarded to the company, but compliance was allegedly not achieved.
Moses Ideho, counsel to the NRS, filed a three-count charge against the defendants. The first count alleges failure, refusal or neglect to produce the required records, conduct said to be contrary to Section 57 and punishable under Section 130(1) and (2) of the Nigeria Tax Administration Act, 2025.
The second count accuses the company and Baro of concealing tax information. The charge states that on or about May 9, 2026, having been served a notice under Section 57, the defendants allegedly concealed and withheld information material to the ascertainment of their tax liability, thereby facilitating the evasion of petroleum due and payable to the government of the Federation. This conduct is said to be contrary to Section 57 and punishable under Section 118 of the Act.
The third count alleges that the defendants obstructed, hindered and impeded the NRS and its authorised officers in the performance of their functions and the exercise of their powers under the Nigeria Tax Administration Act, 2025.
The matter was listed before the Federal High Court presided over by Justice Inyang Ekwo on Wednesday for arraignment. The plea could not proceed as scheduled, and the court adjourned the case to January 27, 2027.
SGORL, an indigenous exploration and production company, entered the business in 2006. It participated in a bidding round conducted by the Department of Petroleum Resources and secured the licence for OML 146, formerly OPL 277.
