No Fresh Suit Against NNPCL, Others – Dangote Group

The Management of Dangote Petroleum Refinery and Petrochemicals has disclosed that it has initiated the process of withdrawing the suit it lodged at the Federal High Court in Abuja seeking to nullify import licences issued to the Nigeria National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPCL) and five other companies for the purpose of importing refined petroleum products.

The other five companies are Aym Shafa Limited, A. A. Rano Limited, T. Time Petroleum Limited, 2015 Petroleum Limited and Matrix Petroleum Services Limited.

Dangote Refinery, in a suit marked: FHC/ABJ/CS/1324/2024 and filed by Ogwu Onoja, SAN, before Justice Inyang Ekwo, had sued the Nigeria Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority (NMDPRA) and NNPCL as 1st and 2nd defendants.

However, in a statement made available on Dangote Group’s official X handle, Dangote Refinery said the case was an old one which has now been overtaken by events.

The statement reads: “This is an old issue that started in June and culminated in a matter being filed on September 6, 2024.

“Currently, the parties are in discussion since the President Bola Tinubu’s directive on Crude Oil and Refined products sales in Naira Initiative, which was approved by the Federal Executive Council (FEC).

“We have made tremendous progress in that regard and events have overtaken this development.

“No party has been served with court processes and there is no intention of doing so. We have agreed to put a halt to the proceedings.

“It is important to stress that no orders have been made and there are no adverse effects on any party.

“We understand that once the matter comes up in January 2025, we would be in a position to formally withdraw the matter in court,” the company explained.