A Federal High Court, Uyo, Akwa Ibom State has dismissed over N143 billion claims for alleged four oil spills filed against Mobil in Akwa Ibom State.

The Plaintiffs are Unwon Ama Oyorkoto Unity Fishing Cooperative Society; Mgbambop Otako Fishing Cooperative Investment and Credit Society Ltd; Oyorokoto Unity Fish Farming Cooperative, and Mr Dimkpa Ataukot.
They were represented by Kingsley Uzoukwu, who had filed the matters against Mobil, in November 2022, at the Federal High Court in Uyo, Akwa Ibom State, alleging that Mobil caused an oil spill to occur in their communities in the year 2012, which severely impacted the livelihood and sources of income of the plaintiffs.

In response to the Plaintiffs’ claims, Mobil, represented by its counsel, Prof. Fabian Ajogwu (SAN), filed preliminary objections challenging the Court’s jurisdiction to entertain the suits.
Ajogwu argued that the suits were statute-barred as they were initiated beyond the limitation period stipulated under Section 16 of the Akwa Ibom State Limitation Laws, 2000.
In delivering judgment on it yesterday, Justice Chigozie Onnah, sitting in Uyo, agreed with his submissions that the Plaintiffs commenced their suits more than 10 years after the cause of action arose.
As a result, the suits were held to be statute-barred.
The court accordingly dismissed all the claims by the plaintiffs.