In a significant legal victory for Dangote Petroleum Refinery and Petrochemicals, Justice Inyang Ekwo of the Federal High Court in Abuja has dismissed the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited’s (NNPCL) attempt to have the ₦100 billion import license lawsuit thrown out.
The court ruled that NNPCL had failed to submit a counter affidavit in response to the suit, opting instead for a preliminary objection that was deemed inconsistent with the governing laws of court procedures.
Justice Ekwo highlighted that, when jurisdiction is in question, it is within the court’s discretion to address such issues at the time of judgment.
The judge also criticized NNPCL for violating Order 16 of the Federal High Court’s rules, noting that their objection was “incompetent.”
He further emphasized that NNPCL would not face any injustice from allowing Dangote Refinery the opportunity to amend its suit.
Additionally, the court approved Dangote Refinery’s request to amend the suit, ensuring that the correct name of the NNPCL was properly cited.
This ruling paves the way for the case to proceed unimpeded, marking another legal win for Dangote Refinery.
