A Federal High Court in Abuja has ordered the
Federal Government to pay over $3 billion to Rivers and Akwa Ibom states, as
part of their revenue shares from crude oil sales.
The amount
formed part of the $62 billion said to have been recovered from some oil
companies by the Federal Government.
Justice Taiwo
Taiwo while delivering the judgement on Tuesday, held that the notice of
intention to defend the case without joining issues with the plaintiffs was an
error on the part of the government.
The court
also rejected the claim of the Federal Government that it cannot pay the money
it received from crude oil sales adding that the defendant ought to have filed
a defence to explain its position in the $62 billion oil earnings as required
by law.
This comes a
day after the Federal High Court awarded the sum of ₦82 billion in favour of
Ibeno community, in Akwa Ibom State, against the Nigerian National Petroleum
Corporation and Mobil Producing Nigeria, over oil spillage.
Delivering
judgement, Justice Taiwo Taiwo, ordered that the sum must be paid within 14
days after which, 8% interest will be accurable on the principal sum, annually.
The judge
held that the American company and NNPC, were negligent in the way they handled
oil spills that caused environmental degradation in the communities.
Source: channelstv.com
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