Supreme Court Dismisses Shell’s Request To Vacate N17b Judgment On Oil Spill

The Supreme Court has dismissed an application filed by Dutch oil giants, Shell Petroleum Development Company of Nigeria Limited (SPDCNL) seeking to set aside its January 11, 2019 judgment upholding a N17bilion damages awarded against the oil company.

The Supreme Court has in the January 11, 2019 decision, upheld an earlier judgment by the Court of Appeal, affirming a June 14, 2010 judgment of the Federal High Court which awarded the damages against Shell over an oil spill at Ejama-Ebubu in Eleme Local Government Area of River State in the early 1970.

On Friday, Justice Samuel Osuji, who read the lead ruling of the Supreme Court’s panel, prepared by Justice Cenrus Nweze, held that the application by Shell, asking it to revisit its earlier judgment, was unmeritorious.

Commenting on the Supreme Court’s decision, Lucius Nwosu (SAN), who led the legal team of the community, said the judgment sum, with interest, now stands in the region of N160billion