Shell challenges court’s jurisdiction in Bayelsa divestment, pollution suit
The Shell Petroleum Development Company of Nigeria Limited (SPDC) has challenged the jurisdiction of the Federal High Court sitting in Yenagoa in a suit contesting Shell UK PLC’s divestment from its onshore and shallow-water oil and gas assets.
The plaintiffs allege that the divestment did not comply with the guidelines stipulated in the Petroleum Industry Act (PIA) 2021.
The suit was filed by the traditional ruler of Ekpetiama Kingdom in Yenagoa Local Government Area of Bayelsa State, King Bubaraiye Dakolo. He is also seeking redress and environmental remediation over what he described as 40 years of cumulative pollution in his domain.
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Shell challenges court’s jurisdiction in Bayelsa divestment, pollution suit
Nathan Tamarapreye, Yenagoa
The Shell Petroleum Development Company of Nigeria Limited (SPDC) has challenged the jurisdiction of the Federal High Court sitting in Yenagoa in a suit contesting Shell UK PLC’s divestment from its onshore and shallow-water oil and gas assets.
The plaintiffs allege that the divestment did not comply with the guidelines stipulated in the Petroleum Industry Act (PIA) 2021.
The suit was filed by the traditional ruler of Ekpetiama Kingdom in Yenagoa Local Government Area of Bayelsa State, King Bubaraiye Dakolo. He is also seeking redress and environmental remediation over what he described as 40 years of cumulative pollution in his domain.
Ekpetiama community is located within the neighbourhood and forms part of the host communities to the Gbarain-Ubie gas plant and the Gbarain oilfields.
When the matter came up for hearing on Thursday, counsel to the defendants, Mr Michael Amadi, informed the court that the respondents had filed a notice of preliminary objection challenging the court’s jurisdiction to entertain the suit.
In response, counsel to the plaintiff, Mr Chuks Uguru, applied for leave of court to amend earlier motions to correct typographical errors and to serve the amended copies on all parties.
The presiding judge, Justice Ayo Emmanuel, adjourned the matter to March 18 for the hearing of the preliminary objection.
The defendants in the suit, marked FHC/YNG/CS/81/2025, include Shell Petroleum Development Company of Nigeria Limited, Shell Petroleum N.V, and Shell UK PLC.
Other defendants are the Attorney-General of the Federation, the Nigerian Upstream Petroleum Regulatory Commission, the Minister of Petroleum Resources, and Renaissance Energy Africa Ltd.
It will be recalled that Renaissance Energy Africa Ltd, a consortium of indigenous oil firms, acquired Shell’s onshore and shallow-water oil and gas assets in March 2025 following the divestment by Shell UK PLC, the parent company of SPDC.
