Nigerian businessman forfeits private jet, London homes to Swiss bank over $3m debt

Igho Sanomi

A Nigerian oil mogul, Igho Sanomi, is set to lose his three apartments in London to a Swiss bank over $3 million debt, Bloomberg reports.

The bank, Credit Suisse, has already put the jet seized from Sanomi up for sale.

Sanomi was said to be guarantor for a credit facility extended to one of his companies by the bank.

In a written submission to a London court last week, counsel to Credit Suisse, Andrew Brown, said: “three properties owned by Sanomi, including apartments in Chelsea, West London, and Belgravia, in the heart of London’s diplomatic quarter, have already been identified as assets that may have to be forfeited if he loses.”

Sanomi was not represented in court. Bloomberg also said his lawyers did not respond to requests for comments.

Several firms are also filing suits against him for unpaid debts.

Sanomi’s company, Taleveras Energy founded in 2004, trades more than 100 million barrels of crude oil annually and is targeting investments in biofuel.

Taleveras has offices in London, Geneva, Cape Town, Dubai, Ivory Coast, Abuja and Lagos.

Sanomi was born in Agbor, Delta State, in 1975 to a retired Assistant Inspector General of Police. He is a graduate of Geology and Mining from the University of Jos.