The Federal Government (FG)
on Tuesday closed its case at a Federal High Court Lagos, in a 55 million
dollars debt recovery suit it filed against Agip Oil Company Ltd.
The suit, filed since 2016
by the government’s counsel, Prof. Fabian Ajogwu (SAN), is one among others by
the government, seeking to recover almost 12 billion dollars in missing crude
oil revenue from some international oil companies.
The Federal Government is
claiming 55 million dollars from Agip for missing crude oil revenue.
The FG accused Agip of
under-declaring the volume of crude oil it shipped out of the country between
January 2011 and December 2014.
Government claims that Agip
short-changed it to the tune of 55 million dollars.
The plaintiff is therefore,
praying the court to compel the oil firm to pay the sum, with an annual
interest rate of 21 per cent
On Tuesday, the Federal
Government, represented by Mr Ituah Imahnze, informed the court that it was
closing the case for the plaintiff.
Consequently, Justice
Mojisola Olatoregun adjourned until Wednesday for Agip to begin its defence.
The plaintiff filed the
suit, to recover lost revenues arising from undeclared and under-declared crude
oil shipments from Nigeria to different parts of the world.
The Federal Government had
also sued Total Nig. Plc, alleging that the oil company under-declared the
volume of crude oil it shipped out of the country between January 2011 and
December 2014.
Government accused the oil
company of short-changing it to the tune of 245 million dollars by allegedly
shipping several barrels of crude oil out of Nigeria, without making due
remittance to the authorities.
The FG also filed similar
suits against Chevron Nigeria Ltd, Chevron Petroleum Nigeria Ltd, Shell Western
Supply Trading Ltd, among others.
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