Anthony Iwuoma
A United Kingdom court in Friday declined jurisdiction in the $1 billion suit Nigeria brought against oil giants, Shell and Eni.
The London High Court Judge, Christopher Butcher, ruled that it lacked jurisdiction to go ahead with the suit because of a similar ongoing case in another court.
In virtual hearings of the case last month, the defendants canvassed a discontinuation of the $1 billion English suit, describing it as duplication of the ongoing criminal trial and parallel civil claim being brought by Nigeria in Italy over the controversial OPL 245.
They urged the court to decline jurisdiction under article 29 of the recast Brussels Regulation, as the Italian case against the companies is still ongoing.
According to Law360.com, Christopher in his written decision, said the English case could not go on because it had both the same essential facts and parties as a parallel proceeding in Italy also brought by the Nigerian government over the Malabu deal.
