Nigeria, April 20 -- The Federal High Court in Abuja has given the Director-General of the Bureau of Public Enterprises (BPE), Alex Okoh, a final notice until May 13, to show why he should not be committed to prison for his alleged defiance of the July 6, 2012, order of the Supreme Court on the ownership crisis of the Aluminium Smelter Company of Nigeria (ALSCON).

In 2004, BPE cancelled, in controversial circumstances, the declaration by the National Council on Privatisation (NCP) of a Nigerian-American consortium, BFI Group, as the preferred bidder for ALSCON.

In 2006, BPE handed over the ownership of the $3.2 billion plant to UC RUSAL, which was previously disqualified during the bid, by NCP, for violating the bid guidelines.

BFIG co...