Pascal Arogorn Ibe
The Supreme Court on Friday dismissed an application by an oil giant, Shell Petroleum Development Company , requesting a revisit of a January 11, 2019 judgment ordering it to pay N 17bn to some Ogoni communities in Rivers State affected by an oil spill from the company in 1970.
A five – man panel led by Justice Olabode Rhodes -Vivour unanimously dismissed the company’ s application for a review of the judgment after upholding the preliminary objection filed by the communities’ legal team.
Justice Centus Nweze prepared Friday’ s lead ruling but it was read by another Justice of the apex court , Justice Chukwudumebi Oseji , who is not a member of the five – man panel.
The apex court had in the case which had lasted about 31 years from when it started at the High Court , issued the N 17bn order in favour of Ejama-Ebubu in Tai Eleme Local Government Area of Rivers State , represented by Chief Isaac Agbara and nine others .
The communities’ lead lawyer , Lucius Igwe, said on Friday that the judgment sum with the accrued interests for the 32 years period stood at about N 182bn.
At the September 22, 2020 hearing leading to the Supreme Court ’ s ruling delivered on Friday, Nwosu had urged the apex court not to only dismiss the application , but to also make an order against all the senior lawyers in Shell ’ s legal team as “ deterrence ” for the filing of the judgment review application which he alleged was aimed at ridiculing the integrity and finality of the decisions of the apex court .
Shell ’ s legal team led by Chief Wole Olanipekun ( SAN) had big shots in the legal profession including Lateef Fagbemi ( SAN) , a former Attorney-General of the Federation and Minister of Justice , Chief Kanu Agabi ( SAN) , Dr Wale Babalakin ( SAN) , and Wale Akoni ( SAN) .
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