New Telegraph

Oil wells’ dispute : Supreme Court fixes Jan. 17, 2022 for Rivers’ suit

…gives Imo State 15 days to file defence

The Supreme Court Monday fixed January 17, 2022 for the hearing in a suit filed by Rivers State Government seeking to stop it from ceding 17 disputed oil wells to Imo State.

The court, however, gave Imo State 15 days to file its defence and to also within the same period of days, file and exchange necessary processes with the Plaintiff (Rivers State).

Before adjourning the matter till January 17, 2022, a seven-man panel of justices of the court led by Justice Kekere Ekun, said it would hear the substantive matter, alongside all objections the Defendants have against it.

The Federal Government had in its own submission asked the Supreme Court to dismiss the suit which it argued was bereft of merit.

In the processes it filed through the Attorney-General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, the FG, further prayed the apex court to vacate an order of injunction that stopped the process of ceding the oil wells located at Akri and Mbede, to Imo State.

New Telegraph recalls that the apex court had in a chamber ruling it delivered on July 14, ordered FG and its agencies to halt actions pertaining to alleged plan to cede the oil wells to Imo State, pending the determination of the suit by the Rivers State Government.

The ruling followed an ex-parte application brought by Rivers State through its counsel, Emmanuel Ukala (SAN).

The Supreme Court specifically restrained the AGF and the Attorney General of Imo State from taking any further action on the ownership of the disputed 17 oil wells, pending resolution of legal issues surrounding its ownership.

At the resumed proceedings in the matter on Monday, FG’s counsel, Dr Remi Olatubura (SAN) and that of Imo State, Chief Olusola Oke (SAN) who are 1st and 2nd Defendants in the matter, drew the attention of the court to their pending motions.

The Defendants secured leave of the court for an extension of time to file their defence and for an order deeming all their pending motions as duly filed.

 

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