An Anambra State High Court sitting in Onitsha, Southeast Nigeria, has reaffirmed the enforceability of commercial contracts by ordering the settlement of a debt owed to a Chinese businessman in a cross-border trade dispute.
Delivering judgment, Justice Ifeanyi Nweze ruled in favour of Mr. Xu Jiang, whose China-based company supplied goods on credit to an Onitsha-based businessman, Mr. Nnaemeka Okonkwo, through his Nigerian company.
The court directed the defendants to pay the outstanding debt in full, with five per cent annual interest until the judgment debt is fully liquidated.
In a swift reaction to the judgement, the counsel to the complainant, Mr. Ejiofo Umegbogu, said that “the ruling would restore confidence on Nigeria’s business image in world trade, especially between Nigeria and China.”
He also commended the speedy dispensation of justice by the court.
“What is instructive is that I filed a lawsuit against the Onitsha business man on 25th day of March, 2026, and within 3 months the matter was conclusively decided by the court, despite the attempt by the learned counsel to the Defendant to employ procedural technicalities to prolong the matter unnecessarily. And the court also awarded me #500,000 as the cost of litigation, while my client got 5% interest on the debt owed to him calculated annually, until the final liquidation of the debt.”
“Now, this victory shows that the judiciary in Nigeria and Indeed, Anambra State can dispense justice speedily. As such, people should renew their confidence in our court system by always approaching the courts wherever there are issues of trade disputes arising from business transactions,” Umegbogu said.
He said that the Nigerian businessman took delivery of the goods and sold off, yet, refused to remit back the funds to the Chinese supplier, since 2023, despite several demands for payment.
The legal luminary however advised Nigerians to have faith in the judiciary.
He urged people to contact a lawyer of their choice who will handle such matters of trade disputes professionally.
