The Federal High Court in Abuja has set January 30 as the new date for a hearing in a high-profile case filed by Dangote Petroleum Refinery and Petrochemicals FZE. The suit aims to invalidate all petrol import licenses granted to several oil marketing companies. The plaintiff is also seeking damages amounting to N100 billion from the defendants.
Presiding over the matter, Justice Inyang Ekwo adjourned the hearing on Monday to ensure that all parties involved are properly served with court documents. The case, marked FHC/ABJ/CS/1324/2024, includes several defendants, such as the Nigerian Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority (NMDPRA), the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPCL), A.Y.M. Shafa Holdings Limited, A.A. Rano Limited, T. Time Petroleum Limited, 2015 Petroleum Limited, and Matrix Petroleum Services Limited.
At the resumed hearing, the plaintiff’s counsel, George Ibrahim, informed the court that the session was intended to review the progress of settlement or service reports. However, Ibrahim noted that neither had been achieved. He explained that the failure to serve necessary documents stemmed from a recently identified error in the initial application. As a result, a motion was filed to amend the originating summons.
Lawyers representing the defendants, including Matthew Bukar (for NMDPRA), Ahmed Raji (for AYM Shafa, A.A. Rano Limited, and Matrix Limited), and Divine Oguru (for T. Time Petroleum and 2015 Petroleum Limited), also confirmed that they had not received the court documents. This procedural issue has delayed further progress in the case.
The plaintiff is pursuing several reliefs, including a declaration that Dangote Petroleum, as a Free-Zone Enterprise under Nigerian law, is exempt from taxes and levies at federal, state, and local government levels. The claim references specific legal provisions, such as Section 8(1) of the Nigerian Export Processing Zone Act, the Companies Income Tax Act, and the Dangote Industries Free Zone Regulation 2020.
