A Federal High Court in Abuja has ordered the Central Bank of Nigeria to pay a judgment sum with interest totaling N182.7bn to the Ejama community in Rivers state for damages caused by oil spillage in the Ogoni community.
Justice Inyang Ekwo gave the order for the payments which will be made by the Central Bank through the First bank as they are the official bank for the Shell Petroleum Development Company.
Justice Ekwo had maintained that the Order Absolute was in satisfaction of the initial Order Nisi made on June 3, 2019, compelling the garnishee (CBN) to pay the judgment creditors monies belonging to the guarantor (First Bank of Nigeria Limited) in the garnishee’s custody.
According to reports, the judge in his words noted that the ruling was in satisfaction of the judgment debt in Suit No. FHC/PH/CS/231/2001 (later renumbered Suit No. FHC/ASB/ CS/57/2010): Chief Isaac Osaro Agbara and five others vs CBN and two others as well as Suit No: FHC/ABJ/CS/562/19 2/: Agbara and two others, vs the Shell Petroleum Development Company of Nigeria Limited and others.
The ruling read in part, “The guarantor/surety/debtor secured and guaranteed to pay the judgment creditors special damages; and interest for delayed payment for five years from 1996 at 25 percent per annum i.e. 25 percent of the said sum till the date of judgment; N10bn as general damages; and 10 percent interest on the judgment debt till payment giving a total of N76,871,175,831.18 as at June 14, 2010, being the date of the judgment but with the accrual of post-judgment interest totaled N182.768,696,651.89.”
Obinwannem understands that This case has been on the role since 1991 at the Rivers State High Court, Nchia Division, by six indigenes of Ogoniland against the Royal Dutch Shell Plc, Netherlands, Royal Dutch Shell Plc, United Kingdom, and SPDC over oil spills that occurred when Shell operated in the community.
The plaintiffs pleaded the court for judgment maintaining that it was the same case that led to the Ogoni struggle headed by the late Mr. Ken Saro Wiwa.
Judgment was eventually entered in their favor against Shell by the state High Court. The defendant has since appealed against the said judgment.
Nwada Ugochinyere Onyechere reporting, Obinwannem News
