Oil Spill: Supreme Court rejects Shell’s request to vacate ₦17bn judgement

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

 The apex court had on January 11, 2019, 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 Ejam-Ebulu in Tai Eleme Local Government Area of River State in 1970. 

 In a ruling delivered on Friday morning November 27, Justice Samuel Osuji who read the lead ruling of the Supreme Court’s panel prepared by Justice Centus Nweze, held that the application by Shell, asking it to revisit its earlier judgment, was unmeritorious. 

 Counsel to Ejam-Ebulu community, Lucius Nwosu, applauded the verdict of the court and said the judgment sum with interest now stands in the region of N160billion.