The Federal High Court in Abuja has dismissed NNPCL’s attempt to block Dangote Petroleum Refinery’s N100 billion import license lawsuit, ruling that the case can proceed.
- NNPCL’s attempt to block Dangote Refinery’s import license lawsuit was dismissed by the Federal High Court in Abuja.
- The court ruled that the case can proceed and criticized NNPCL for filing an ‘incompetent preliminary objection.
- Dangote Refinery is seeking N100 billion in damages over the issuance of import licenses undermining local refining efforts.
The Federal High Court in Abuja has dismissed NNPCL’s attempt to block Dangote Petroleum Refinery’s N100 billion import license lawsuit, ruling that the case can proceed.
Justice Inyang Ekwo delivered the ruling after hearing oral submissions from the legal representatives of Dangote Refinery, NNPCL, and other parties involved in the case.
Delivering his ruling on NNPCL’s preliminary objection on Tuesday, Justice Ekwo stated that NNPCL did not submit a counter-affidavit against Dangote Refinery’s lawsuit.
Instead, Ekwo faulted the NNPCL for flouting Order 16 of the Federal High Court rules by filing an “incompetent preliminary objection” against the refinery.
“I make an order striking out the preliminary objection of the NNPCL,” he ruled.
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On Dangote refinery’s request to correct its filing and properly cite NNPCL’s name, Justice Ekwo ruled in favour of the amendment and approved the changes.
The judge further stated that allowing Dangote Refinery to amend its suit would not cause any injustice to NNPCL.
How the dispute began
Last year, Dangote Petroleum Refinery and Petrochemicals FZE took legal action against the Nigerian Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority (NMDPRA) and the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation Limited (NNPCL) over the issuance of fuel import licenses.
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The lawsuit challenges the approval granted to several petroleum marketers, including AYM Shafa, A.A. Rano, T. Time Petroleum, and Matrix Petroleum.
Dangote Refinery argues that the continued issuance of import licenses undermines local refining efforts and seeks to have them revoked.
Dangote Refinery is demanding N100 billion in damages over claims that authorities are still granting import licenses to companies for bringing in petroleum products like Automotive Gas Oil (AGO) and Jet Fuel (aviation turbine fuel) into Nigeria.
