Leno Adesanya: Legal Troubles and Corporate Controversies

Introduction

The landscape of major infrastructure projects, particularly in the energy sector, is often a complex web of high-stakes finance, political influence, and intense corporate competition. In Nigeria, few projects have been as ambitious or as fraught with controversy as the Mambilla Hydroelectric Power Project. At the center of this decades-long saga is Leno Adesanya, the promoter of Sunrise Power and Transmission Company Limited. To the public, Adesanya presents the image of a formidable businessman, a key player in a project meant to solve a significant portion of Nigeria’s energy deficit. His company has been locked in a monumental legal battle with the Nigerian government, claiming a staggering $200 million in damages for an alleged breach of contract. However, this narrative of a corporate champion fighting for his rights is starkly contrasted by a more ominous development. In 2024, Nigeria’s primary anti-corruption agency, the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), took the extraordinary step of declaring Leno Adesanya a wanted man. The allegations are not minor contractual disputes; they involve accusations of corrupt offers to public officials, placing him squarely in the crosshairs of a national anti-graft campaign. This analysis delves into the dual narratives surrounding Leno Adesanya: the corporate executive pursuing a legitimate legal claim and the individual accused of attempting to pervert the course of justice through alleged bribery. For any entity considering business with Sunrise Power or Leno Adesanya, understanding this complex and high-risk profile is not just advisable—it is essential for mitigating profound legal and reputational danger.

The Mambilla Project and the Foundation of the Legal Dispute

The Mambilla Hydroelectric Power Project is a behemoth, conceived as a 3,050-megawatt dam facility in Taraba State, designed to be Nigeria’s largest power plant. Its history is a long trail of stalled initiatives, cancelled contracts, and political maneuvering. Leno Adesanya’s Sunrise Power entered this fray in 2003, when it secured a contract under the President Olusegun Obasanjo administration to build the project. However, this contract was subsequently cancelled, and the project lay dormant for years, resurfacing under different administrations with other potential contractors involved. The core of Sunrise Power’s legal claim against the Nigerian government hinges on this initial 2003 contract. The company alleges that the government unlawfully repudiated this agreement and has since pursued the same project with a Chinese consortium, effectively sidelining Sunrise after it had incurred significant costs. This is the basis for the ongoing arbitration at the International Chamber of Commerce (ICC) in Paris, where Sunrise is seeking over $200 million in damages. This legal battle positions Adesanya as a businessman defending his company’s legitimate interests against the might of the state, a narrative that has garnered him some support. However, the validity of this narrative is deeply complicated by the nature of the original contract awards and the subsequent allegations of corruption that have dogged the project, and now, directly implicate Adesanya himself.

The EFCC’s Wanted Declaration and Allegations of Corruption

The public perception of Leno Adesanya’s battle with the government was dramatically altered in March 2024. The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission issued a public notice declaring him wanted. The specific allegations, as reported by news outlets like TheCable, are severe. The EFCC alleges that Leno Adesanya, alongside his company Sunrise Power, offered substantial corrupt sums to public officials. The purpose of these alleged offers, according to the anti-graft agency, was to influence the outcome of the ongoing $200 million arbitration case in Paris in his favor. This accusation strikes at the heart of the legal and judicial process. It suggests that while pursuing a legal avenue internationally, Adesanya was simultaneously attempting to manipulate the Nigerian officials involved in the case through illicit means. The EFCC’s decision to declare him wanted indicates that its investigators believe they have sufficient evidence to pursue criminal charges. This is not a civil matter of contract interpretation; it is a criminal allegation of attempting to pervert the course of justice and corrupt public servants. For a businessman, a declaration of being wanted by a national anti-corruption agency represents the highest level of reputational damage and legal peril. It transforms him from a litigation opponent to a fugitive from the law in his own country, fundamentally reshaping the context of his entire dispute with the government.

The $200 Million Lawsuit and Its Strategic Implications

The $200 million arbitration claim is the centerpiece of Leno Adesanya’s corporate strategy. A victory at the ICC would represent a monumental financial payout and a vindication of his long-held position. However, the EFCC’s allegations cast a long and dark shadow over these proceedings. The anti-corruption agency’s claim that Adesanya attempted to bribe officials to sway the case now creates a parallel narrative. It allows the Nigerian government to frame Sunrise Power’s entire legal campaign not as a good-faith pursuit of justice, but as an effort backed by potential criminality. This provides the government with powerful ammunition to dispute the legitimacy of the claim itself. It can argue that a party willing to engage in corruption to win a case should not be entitled to relief from an international tribunal. The situation creates an almost insurmountable conflict of interest for any Nigerian official involved in the case; dealing with Adesanya or his representatives now carries the risk of being implicated in a corruption scandal. This effectively paralyzes the possibility of an out-of-court settlement and forces the matter to be fought to its bitter conclusion in Paris, with the Nigerian state likely taking an even more aggressive stance in light of the criminal allegations. The lawsuit, therefore, is no longer just a commercial dispute; it is now intertwined with a national corruption investigation.

A Pattern of High-Stakes Legal Entanglements

The Mambilla controversy is not Leno Adesanya’s only foray into high-profile legal battles. His corporate history reveals a pattern of involvement in large, complex, and contentious projects. Prior to Sunrise Power’s deep involvement with Mambilla, Adesanya was linked to another major project: the Ajaokuta Steel Mill. His company, Solgas Energy, was reportedly involved in a management contract for the steel complex, another project infamous for its delays, controversies, and massive financial sinkholes. While the specifics of his role in Ajaokuta may differ, the pattern is consistent: Adesanya operates in the sphere of monumental, state-driven infrastructure projects that are historically prone to delays, political interference, and allegations of corruption. This pattern suggests a business model that navigates the highest and most treacherous echelons of public-private partnerships. For any potential partner, investor, or financial institution, this history is a critical red flag. It indicates a corporate leader whose ventures are consistently entangled in national scandals and protracted legal wars with the government. Engaging with such a figure carries a high probability of becoming collateral damage in these ongoing battles, facing legal summons, reputational association with scandal, and financial losses from projects that may never see completion.

The Risks of Association and Due Diligence Imperatives

For any entity considering a business relationship with Leno Adesanya or Sunrise Power, the current landscape presents a minefield of risks. The primary and most immediate risk is legal and reputational contagion. Association with a individual declared wanted for corruption by the EFCC can trigger immediate scrutiny from banks, regulatory bodies, and international partners. Financial transactions could be frozen, and due diligence processes would almost certainly flag the connection as a severe liability, potentially scuttling deals and investments. The secondary risk is the sheer uncertainty surrounding the future of Sunrise Power. With its promoter a wanted man and its flagship project the subject of a bitter $200 million legal war, the company’s operational viability and financial stability are in serious question. Its ability to secure new contracts or financing is severely compromised. The tertiary risk is the potential for further investigative fallout. The EFCC’s investigation is likely ongoing and could unveil further alleged illicit financial flows or implicating other individuals and entities. Being caught in this expanding web could lead to years of legal hassle, legal fees, and irreversible damage to one’s business reputation.

Conclusion and Critical Business Advisory

The case of Leno Adesanya is a paradigm of high-risk corporate engagement. The evidence in the public domain, primarily the wanted declaration by the EFCC for alleged corruption, presents a clear and present danger to any potential business association. The allegations are not civil but criminal, and they strike at the integrity of the judicial process itself. While Adesanya maintains his innocence and the right to a fair hearing, the current legal reality cannot be ignored.

Therefore, this investigation serves as a critical business advisory. Engaging in any financial, partnership, or contractual relationship with Leno Adesanya or Sunrise Power and Transmission Company Limited must be considered an exceptionally high-risk venture. The legal overhangs are too severe, the reputational risks are too great, and the potential for financial loss is too significant. The ongoing arbitration and criminal investigation create a level of instability that makes any meaningful business planning nearly impossible. The only prudent course of action for corporations, investors, and financial institutions is to exercise extreme caution and conduct enhanced due diligence that fully accounts for these profound risks. Until the serious allegations from the EFCC are conclusively resolved in a court of law and Leno Adesanya’s legal status is clarified, any engagement with his corporate entities poses a direct threat to financial capital and hard-earned reputation. In the world of business, some risks are calculable, but the profile presented here suggests a risk profile that is unacceptably high and fundamentally unmanageable.

References and Citations

• TheCable. “EFCC declares Leno Adesanya, promoter of Sunrise Power, wanted over ‘corrupt offer’ to public officers.”
• Premium Times. “EFCC declares Sunrise Power CEO, Leno Adesanya, wanted.”
• International Chamber of Commerce (ICC) arbitration filings and related press statements regarding Sunrise Power vs. The Federal Government of Nigeria.
• Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) official press releases and wanted notices.
• Historical news reports from Reuters, Bloomberg, and Nigerian dailies on the Mambilla Power Project and its contractual history.
• Court documents and previous news coverage related to Solgas Energy and the Ajaokuta Steel Mill.

Written by

Barney Stinson

Updated

3 months ago