Import licence: Dangote Refinery to amend suit against NNPCL, others

The Dangote Petroleum Refinery and Petrochemicals on Monday sought to amend its suit against the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPCL) and others at the Federal High Court, Abuja.

The refinery’s move to amend the suit followed an application by the NNPCL for the court to strike out the case for being incompetent.

The Dangote Refinery had in the application filed by its lawyer, Ogwu Onoja (SAN), asked the court to nullify import licences issued by the Nigeria Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority (NMDPRA) to the NNPCL and the five other companies for the purpose of importing refined petroleum products.

It also prayed the court to declare that NMDPRA violated Sections 317(8) and (9) of the Petroleum Industry Act (PIA) by issuing licenses for the importation of petroleum products.

The management of the refinery equally demanded N100 billion in damages against NMDPRA for allegedly continuing to issue import licences to NNPCL and the five companies for importing petroleum products.

The NMDPRA and NNPCL were listed as respondents in the suit. But in its preliminary objection, NNPCL urged the court to strike out the suit. It argued that the NNPC sued by the refinery was a non-existent entity.

Justice Inyang Ekwo fixed January 20, 2025, for further hearing on the matter.