10-7-2025
The Federal High Court (FHC) in Abuja on Thursday, fixed September 29 for hearing of a suit filed by Dangote Petroleum Refinery and Petrochemicals FZE against the Nigeria National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPCL) and others over oil import licence dispute.
Justice Mohammed Umar fixed the date after George Ibrahim, SAN, counsel to Dangote Refinery, sought an adjournment to enable parties regularise their processes and the defence lawyer did not oppose the request.
The suit, formerly before Justice Inyang Ekwo, began denovo (afresh) following its reassignment to Justice Umar.
Dangote Refinery sued the Nigeria Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority (NMDPRA) and the Nigeria National Petroleum Corporation Limited (NNPCL) as 1st and 2nd defendants.
Also joined in the suit are AYM Shafa Limited, A. A. Rano Limited, T. Time Petroleum Limited, 2015 Petroleum Limited, and Matrix Petroleum Services Limited as 3rd to 7th defendants respectively.
The oil company, through its lawyer, Ogwu Onoja, SAN, prayed the court to nullify import licences issued by NMDPRA to the NNPCL and the five other companies for the purpose of importing refined petroleum products.
Dangote Refinery (plaintiff) is asking the court to declare that NMDPRA was in violation of Sections 317(8) and (9) of the Petroleum Industry Act (PIA) by issuing licences for the importation of petroleum products.
It stated that such licences should only be issued in circumstances where there is a petroleum product shortfall.
It equally sought a N100 billion in damages against NMDPRA for allegedly continuing to issue import licences to NNPCL and the five companies for importing petroleum products, among other reliefs.
The NNPCL, in its preliminary objection, prayed the court to strike out the case for being incompetent.
The NNPCL argued that the suit was premature, and it disclosed no cause of action against it.
“This honourable court lacks the jurisdiction to hear this suit,” the NNPCL said. NAN