Dangote Refinery Speaks On Filing Court Case Against NNPCL, Others

Dangote Refinery, on Monday night clarified reports on the case instituted against the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation Limited (NNPCL) and five other companies over importation of petroleum products.

The other five companies are Aym Shafa Limited, A. A. Rano Limited, T. Time Petroleum Limited, 2015 Petroleum Limited and Matrix Petroleum Services Limited.

Dangote Refinery, in a suit marked: FHC/ABJ/CS/1324/2024 and filed by Ogwu Onoja, SAN, before Justice Inyang Ekwo, had sued Nigeria Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority (NMDPRA) and NNPCL as 1st and 2nd defendants.

Also listed as 3rd to 7th defendants respectively in the originating summons dated Sept. 6 are Aym Shafa Limited, A. A. Rano Limited, T. Time Petroleum Limited, 2015 Petroleum Limited, and Matrix Petroleum Services Limited.

The company 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.

These it said are Automotive Gas Oil (AGO) and Jet Fuel (aviation turbine fuel) into Nigeria, “despite the production of AGO and Jet-A1 that exceeds the current daily consumption of petroleum products in Nigeria by the Dangote Refinery.”

The plaintiff prayed the court to declare that NMDPRA is allegedly in violation of Sections 317(8) and (9) of the Petroleum Industry Act (PIA) by issuing licences for the importation of petroleum products.

However, the Group Chief Branding and Communications Officer of Dangote Group, Anthony Chiejina, clarified that the suit is not new.

He noted, “This is an old issue that started in June and culminated in a matter being filed on September 6, 2024.

“Currently, the parties are in discussion since the President Bola Tinubu’s directive on Crude Oil and Refined products sales in Naira Initiative, which was approved by the Federal Executive Council (FEC).

“We have made tremendous progress in that regard and events have overtaken this development. No party has been served with court processes and there is no intention of doing so. We have agreed to put a halt to the proceedings.

“It is important to stress that no orders have been made and there are no adverse effects on any party. We understand that once the matter comes up January 2025, we would be in a position to formally withdraw the matter in court.”