Court Dismisses ₦54 Billion Oil Spill Lawsuit in Uyo

The Uyo court has dismissed a ₦54 billion lawsuit concerning an oil spill, stating that the case was filed outside the legal time limit. The lawsuit was brought by Barrack Nditia Okposo on behalf of two communities against Mobil Producing Nigeria Unlimited, alleging environmental damage from a spill.

The court ruled that the legal timeline for the case began in 2014, and since the alleged spill was a single completed act, the statute of limitations had expired. Ms. Abasiemediong Etuk, counsel for Mobil, argued that the claim of continuing injury did not apply as the alleged wrongful act was completed in 2014.

The court agreed, stating that the allegations did not constitute a continuing act, and thus the statute of limitations ran from the date of the incident, making it impossible to file a claim after 2026. This ruling raises the threshold for future oil spill claims under the doctrine of continuing injury.