A Federal High Court in Abuja has dismissed a suit challenging the proposed allocation of four oil fields, filed against the Minister of State for Petroleum Resources (Oil), the Attorney-General of the Federation, and the Nigerian Upstream Petroleum Regulatory Commission (NUPRC).
The suit was filed by Hi-Rev Oil Limited and Hi-Rev Exploration and Production Ltd, who asked the court to stop the allocation or sale of the disputed oil assets.
The plaintiffs had argued that the oil fields were linked to previously allocated assets that were later withdrawn by the defendants, and sought to restrain any reassignment of the blocks.
Delivering judgment, Justice Emeka Nwite upheld the preliminary objections filed by the defendants and ruled that the suit was incompetent.
The court held that the plaintiffs failed to comply with statutory requirements, particularly the absence of a valid pre-action notice as required under the Petroleum Industry Act (PIA), 2021.
According to the judge, the defective notice deprived the court of jurisdiction to hear the case, adding that the letter presented by the plaintiffs did not meet legal standards.
Justice Nwite also agreed with the argument that the plaintiffs failed to disclose a reasonable cause of action in their filing.
He noted that a valid pre-action notice is essential to inform defendants of grievances, the intention to sue, and the reliefs being sought before any legal action is initiated.
The disputed oil fields include Yorla South, Akiapiri, Diebu Creek East and Idiok, located across Rivers, Bayelsa and Akwa Ibom states.
