The Federal High Court in Abuja has fixed January 30 for the hearing of a suit filed by Dangote Petroleum Refinery and Petrochemicals FZE, seeking to void all petrol import licenses granted to certain oil marketing companies.
Justice Inyang Ekwo adjourned the case on Monday to allow for the proper service of court papers on all parties involved.
During the resumed hearing, George Ibrahim, counsel for the plaintiff, informed the court that the session was originally scheduled for a report on the settlement or service of processes. However, he stated that the plaintiffs had been unable to serve the necessary documents due to a motion filed to amend their originating summons, following an error discovered in the initial application.
Counsel for the respondents, including Matthew Bukar (representing the NMDPRA), Ahmed Raji (representing A.Y.M. Shafa, A.A. Rano Limited, and Matrix Limited), and Divine Oguru (representing T. Time Petroleum and 2015 Petroleum Limited), confirmed that they had not received any court documents.
The suit, marked FHC/ABJ/CS/1324/2024, was filed by Dangote Petroleum Refinery and Petrochemicals FZE against the Nigerian Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority (NMDPRA), the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPCL), and several oil marketing firms, including A.Y.M. Shafa Holdings Limited, A.A. Rano Limited, T. Time Petroleum Limited, 2015 Petroleum Limited, and Matrix Petroleum Services Limited.
Among other reliefs, the plaintiff is seeking a declaration that, as a Free-Zone Enterprise registered under the Nigerian Export Processing Zone Act (NEPZA), it is exempted from all federal, state, and local government taxes, levies, and other charges. The plaintiff is also demanding N100 billion in damages from the defendants.
The case is expected to resume on January 30, 2025, for further proceedings.
