Group sues FG, Shell over non remittances, under declarations in crude oil shipment revenue

A consortium of several organisations, the Nigeria National Interest Defenders (NNID) has approached the Federal High Court in Abuja with a suit seeking to stop the loss of revenue by non-remittances and under-declarations in crude oil shipment revenue by Shell Petroleum Development Company of Nigeria Limited.

The group held that the country has lost huge revenue due to the illicit activities of Shell Petroleum Development of Nigeria at the Forcados and Bonny Terminals, two crude oil export terminals it operates and from where it has stolen and currently owes Nigeria about N5 trillion.

The suit numbered, FHC/ABJ/CS/1144/2019, filed on behalf of the group by Tochukwu Ohazuruike over alleged missing N5 trillion oil revenue, has the Federal Government of Nigeria and Shell petroleum company as defendants.

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The group alleged that Nigeria has lost huge revenue due to what it described as “illicit activities of Shell at the Forcados and Bonny terminals to the tune of N5trillion.”

Ohazurike, suing as plaintiff, wants the court to compel and direct the federal government to nationalise take over the investment or interest of Shell Petroleum in the Forcados and Bonny Terminals which it operates, to curb the economic sabotage of loss of revenue.

The group declared that the legal interest, ownership and control of all hydrocarbon, including petroleum products in, under and upon the land in Nigeria is invested in the Federal Government; and by virtue of which it can appropriate, use or in any other manner whatsoever exercise or demonstrate incidents of ownership or control thereof.

“A declaration that based on the declining remittance and/or under-declaration of earnings or revenue from crude oil exploration, production, exportation and shipment by Shell from its Forcados and Bonny Terminals, occasioned by acts of economic sabotage against Nigeria, the Federal Government as a sovereign entity has a duty to nationalise or take over Shell’s investment or interest in or over the Forcados and Bonny Terminals on grounds of public purpose.’

The plaintiff is also said this was on grounds of public purpose and national interest as a measure of curbing the economic sabotage of loss of revenue, non-remittance and under-declaration of the crude oil export or shipment from the Forcados and Bonny export terminals.

Alternatively, the plaintiff is praying for an order compelling and directing the Federal Government to duly regulate or in any other manner, exercise appropriate sovereign control over the operations of Shell.

This, he said, was with a view to curbing the economic sabotage of the accruable revenue to Nigeria from crude on export or shipment from the Forcados and Bonny export terminals.
The matter, which was filed on Monday is yet to be assigned to a judge.