A Federal High Court in Abuja dismisses an objection filed by the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation Limited (NNPCL) to challenge the jurisdiction of the court to hear a lawsuit brought against it by Dangote Petroleum Refinery and Petrochemicals FZE.
The lawsuit, marked FHC/ABJ/CS/1324/2024, seeks to invalidate the import licences issued by the Nigeria Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority (NMDPRA), which allow NNPCL and other marketers to import refined petroleum products into the country.
The company is demanding N100 billion in damages from the NMDPRA for granting the import permits. It also seeks a court injunction to prevent the regulatory authority from issuing or renewing import licences to NNPCL and other marketers, including:
- AYM Shafa Limited
- A. A. Rano Limited
- T. Time Petroleum Limited
- 2015 Petroleum Limited
- Matrix Petroleum Services Limited
Before the case could proceed, NNPCL filed a preliminary objection, arguing that the lawsuit was incompetent and that the court lacked jurisdiction. The corporation also claimed it was sued under the non-existent name “NNPC”, instead of its current legal identity as NNPCL.
However, Justice Inyang Ekwo dismissed NNPCL’s objection for lack of merit and allowed the case to proceed. The court also approved Dangote Refinery’s request to amend the suit to reflect NNPCL’s proper name.
In a related ruling, the court dismissed an application by the Federal Competition and Consumer Protection Commission (FCCPC) to be joined as a defendant in the case. The judge ruled that FCCPC was not a necessary party and that the dispute could be resolved without its involvement.
With the objections cleared, the substantive case will now proceed to trial.
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