Ghana’s High Commissioner to Nigeria, Baba Jamal, says the government is escalating the ongoing dispute involving business magnate Sir Sam Jonah to the ECOWAS Court after diplomatic efforts and legal engagements in Nigeria failed to yield progress.

The diplomatic escalation follows a petition filed by Sir Sam Jonah to Ghana’s Foreign Affairs Minister, Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa, urging urgent state intervention over what he describes as the unlawful seizure of his business interests in Nigeria by the country’s Corporate Affairs Commission (CAC).

In an 11-page summary dated December 13, 2025, the businessman accuses the CAC of expropriating his shares in Abuja’s River Park Estate and overriding ongoing court processes.

Speaking on The Pulse on JoyNews, Baba Jamal revealed that the Ministry of Foreign Affairs has already begun submitting official documentation to the regional body. He said he had “signed a letter today” forwarding all required details to ECOWAS for formal action.

According to him, the escalation became necessary after years of stalled mediation attempts and new obstacles emerging each time a resolution appeared close.

“We’re escalating this to the ECOWAS Court,” he confirmed. “ECOWAS is a sub-regional body interested in fostering business across borders, and it could be a melting point for such problems. After trying all avenues in Nigeria, the only place left to go is ECOWAS to ensure this matter is peacefully resolved.”

The High Commissioner explained that the case is already before multiple Nigerian state institutions — including the Attorney General, the Inspector General of Police, and the Trade Ministry — yet the Corporate Affairs Commission’s actions remain unresolved.

He added that ECOWAS, during earlier meetings, requested full documentation on the matter, which Ghana has now formally submitted.

“We hope to resolve this matter without it escalating further,” he noted.

He argues that the actions threaten millions of dollars in Ghanaian-led investments and violate regional investment protection standards.

Sir Jonah’s petition also details a longstanding dispute involving a local Nigerian partner, Paul Odili of Paulo Homes Ltd., over alleged land encroachment within the estate — a conflict he says triggered the current crisis.