The Supreme Court has dismissed an application filed by Shell Petroleum Development Company, asking the court to review its judgment of Jan. 11, 2019, which ordered Shell to pay N17 billion to Ogoni communities in Rivers.
The communities were affected by an oil spill caused by the oil company in 1970.
A five-member panel of justices dismissed the application on the grounds that it had no merit since the court had taken a decision on the appeal and the court could not reverse itself.
According to the judgment prepared by Justice Centus Nweze and read by Justice Chukwudumebi Oseji on Friday in Abuja, the application had no merit.
The Supreme Court had issued the N17 billion order in favour of Ejama-Ebubu in Tai Eleme Local Government Area of Rivers.
Counsel to the communities, Mr Lucius Nwosu told newsmen that the judgment sum, with interest accrued over the past 31 years was about N182 billion.
Nwosu had in September, at the hearing of the application, prayed the apex court to not only dismiss the application, but to also punish all the senior lawyers in Shell’s legal team for the filing the judgment review application.
Nwosu said that the application was an attempt to ridicule the integrity and finality of the decisions of the apex court.