Court dismisses N54bn oil spill suit against Mobil

A federal high court in Uyo has thrown out a N54 billion lawsuit filed against Mobil Producing Nigeria Unlimited, now operating as SEPNU, over a reported oil spill in 2014.

The court ruled that the case was filed beyond the legally allowed time frame.

The suit was brought by representatives of the Barracks, Nditia, and Okposo 2 communities, who were seeking compensation for environmental damage caused by the spill.

The plaintiffs had prayed the court to treat the damage as a “continuing injury” in an effort to avoid the limitation period.

But the court rejected the argument, finding that the alleged spill was a completed act that occurred in 2014 and could not be revived more than a decade later.

A key issue in the case was whether the incident qualified as a “continuing injury” or the “continuing effect” of a past act.

Abasiemediong Etuk, counsel to the defendant, argued that a continuing injury requires repeated or ongoing wrongful acts, not just the persistence of damage after a single act.

She said the alleged spill was a one-time occurrence, adding that any lingering environmental impact did not extend the timeframe within which the suit could be filed.

“While the effects of the spill might persist, the cause of action remains fixed to the date the spill occurred,” she said.

In its verdict, the court agreed with the defence, holding that the plaintiffs’ attempt to classify the claim as a continuing injury was misconceived.

The court found that the spill, as alleged, was not ongoing but a completed act with residual consequences.

It held that the limitation period began to run in 2014, making the suit filed in 2026 statute-barred.

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