Dangote Petroleum Refinery has withdrawn a lawsuit filed on the Federal High Court in Abuja in search of to cancel oil import licences granted to the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPCL) and a number of other personal entrepreneurs by the Nigerian Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority (NMDPRA).
The refinery, by way of its lawyer Ogwu Onoja (SAN), submitted a discover of discontinuance with out offering any motive.
The discover learn, “Take notice that the plaintiff herein discontinues this suit against the defendants forthwith.”
Earlier, Dangote Refinery had requested the court docket to declare that NMDPRA violated Sections 317(8) and (9) of the Petroleum Industry Act (PIA) by issuing the licences regardless of native refining capability.
It claimed such licences ought to solely be granted when there’s a provide shortfall and accused the Authority of failing to advertise native refining.
The firm sued NMDPRA, NNPCL, and 5 oil entrepreneurs, in search of ₦100 billion in damages.
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In response, AYM Shafa, A. A. Rano, and Matrix Petroleum opposed the swimsuit, arguing that Dangote sought a monopoly.
They warned that this might damage pricing, threaten power safety, and provides the refinery extreme management over provide.
NMDPRA additionally countered, saying the refinery lacked the capability to fulfill Nigeria’s wants and that licences had been granted lawfully to deal with the hole.
It denied claims of conspiracy and maintained that import diversification prevents monopolies.
NNPCL, represented by Kehinde Ogunwumiju (SAN), filed a preliminary objection, claiming it was misidentified and that the swimsuit was incompetent. Justice Inyang Ekwo dismissed the objection and allowed Dangote to appropriate the error.
The case had been mounted for listening to on September 29 earlier than Justice Mohammed Umar earlier than the withdrawal was filed.
