HOMEF Urges Appeal After Court Dismisses Ekpetiama Oil Pollution Suit Against Shell

By: Michael Mike

The Health of Mother Earth Foundation (HOMEF) has rejected the Federal High Court’s dismissal of a landmark environmental case filed by the monarch of Ekpetiama Kingdom against Shell Petroleum Development Company of Nigeria (SPDC) and other defendants, describing the ruling as a setback for environmental justice in the Niger Delta.

The suit, FHC/YNG/CS/8/2025, filed by HRM King Bubaraye Dakolo of Ekpetiama Kingdom, sought to hold Shell accountable for decades of alleged oil spills, gas flaring and environmental degradation across the Gbarain oil fields in Bayelsa State before the company’s divestment of its onshore assets to Renaissance African Energy Limited.

Delivering judgment on July 17, 2026, Justice Ayo Emmanuel of the Federal High Court in Yenagoa dismissed the case after upholding preliminary objections raised by the defendants, including Shell, the Attorney General of the Federation and the Nigeria Upstream Petroleum Regulatory Commission (NUPRC).

The court based its decision on four principal grounds: failure to comply with statutory conditions under the Petroleum Industry Act (PIA) 2021 and the Upstream Petroleum Remediation Funds Regulations 2022; the expiration of limitation periods under the Public Officers Protection Act and the Bayelsa State Limitation Law; the finding that the fundamental rights claims were secondary to tort claims; and the consequent sustaining of the defendants’ preliminary objections.

Reacting to the judgment, HOMEF described the decision as one founded entirely on procedural issues rather than the substance of the environmental damage allegedly suffered by the Ekpetiama people.

The organisation argued that where oil facilities remain operational, gas flaring continues and polluted land and waterways have not been cleaned up, the environmental injury should be regarded as continuing rather than historical.

According to HOMEF, treating decades of unresolved pollution as expired causes of action shields oil companies from accountability while denying justice to affected communities.

HOMEF Executive Director, Nnimmo Bassey, expressed concern that the court did not examine the merits of the environmental claims.

“Every one of these grounds is procedural; not a single finding goes to the merits of the environmental harm the Ekpetiama people have suffered for over six decades,” he said.

Bassey maintained that the Federal Government was rightly joined as a defendant because the Minister of Petroleum Resources, the NUPRC and the Attorney General allegedly approved Shell’s divestment without ensuring compliance with the environmental obligations contained in the Petroleum Industry Act.

HOMEF’s Legal Officer, Onome Etisioro, argued that Shell’s environmental responsibilities could not be extinguished by a procedural court ruling.

She said Nigerian courts urgently need to clarify what constitutes a continuing environmental wrong and whether limitation laws designed for conventional civil disputes should apply to environmental pollution that persists over decades.

“The Ekpetiama case was built to force those questions, but it was dispatched before the judiciary could answer them; the communities of the Niger Delta are the poorer for it,” Etisioro said.

She added that repeated dismissals of environmental cases on technical grounds continue to delay the development of jurisprudence capable of addressing what she described as the “slow, cumulative violence” of oil extraction.

HOMEF said the ruling reflects a broader pattern in Nigerian environmental litigation, where cases involving decades of documented ecological damage are frequently terminated on procedural grounds before courts consider the substantive issues.

The organisation therefore urged King Dakolo and his legal team to challenge the judgment at the appellate courts, arguing that the higher courts should determine whether the procedural barriers applied in the case advance justice or merely frustrate access to judicial remedies for oil-bearing communities.

HOMEF also commended lead counsel Chuks Uguru and the Ekpetiama legal team for their commitment to pursue the matter through every available legal channel.

It further called on environmental organisations, human rights groups and legal advocates across Nigeria and the Niger Delta to support any appeal arising from the case through legal expertise, advocacy and public engagement.

The case is regarded by environmental advocates as one of the most significant legal challenges arising from Shell’s exit from Nigeria’s onshore oil operations, with potentially far-reaching implications for corporate accountability, environmental remediation and the rights of host communities affected by decades of oil exploration.

HOMEF Urges Appeal After Court Dismisses Ekpetiama Oil Pollution Suit Against Shell

FRSC Credits Correctional Service for Decline in Road Crashes, Traffic Offences in FCT

By: Michael Mike

The Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC) has attributed the decline in road crashes and traffic violations in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) to its growing collaboration with the Nigerian Correctional Service (NCoS), particularly through the non-custodial sentencing system.

FCT Sector Commander of the FRSC, Corps Commander Tijjani Iliyasu, made the assertion on Thursday during a courtesy visit to the Controller of Corrections, FCT Command, Christopher Peter Jen, at the Command Headquarters in Abuja.

Iliyasu said the establishment of a Non-Custodial Desk Office at the FRSC FCT Sector Command and the deployment of Correctional Officers to the Corps’ mobile courts had significantly improved compliance with traffic regulations.

According to him, the prompt prosecution of traffic offenders through the mobile courts has served as a deterrent, leading to a marked reduction in traffic offences and road crashes across the FCT.

“With the establishment of the non-custodial desk office here at the FCT Sector Command and the presence of Correctional Officers in our mobile courts that punish traffic offenders almost immediately, we have witnessed a remarkable reduction in traffic offences and road crashes in the FCT,” he said.

The Sector Commander, however, noted that recklessness, indiscipline and disregard for traffic laws remain major contributors to road accidents. He urged motorists and road users to take safety seriously and avoid allowing ignorance or poor driving habits to endanger lives.

Responding, Controller of Corrections Christopher Peter Jen thanked the FRSC leadership for the visit and reaffirmed the commitment of the Nigerian Correctional Service to strengthening collaboration with the road safety agency.

Jen outlined the Service’s mandate of reformation, rehabilitation and reintegration of offenders, adding that the NCoS would continue to support the FRSC’s efforts to improve road safety and reduce crashes in the nation’s capital.

The meeting also explored additional areas of cooperation between the two agencies aimed at enhancing public safety and promoting greater compliance with traffic laws.

FRSC Credits Correctional Service for Decline in Road Crashes, Traffic Offences in FCT

Fubara Pushes for Sweeping Public Service Reforms, Digital Transformation

By: Michael Mike

Rivers State Governor, Sir Siminalayi Fubara, has called for sustained investment in public service reforms, capacity development and digital transformation, warning that Nigeria must reposition its public institutions to meet the demands of a rapidly changing world.

Speaking on Thursday at the opening of the 48th Meeting of the National Council on Establishments (NCE) in Port Harcourt, Fubara said the country’s public service must become more agile, technology-driven, accountable and performance-oriented to effectively deliver on government policies and national development goals.

The meeting brought together the Head of the Civil Service of the Federation, Mrs Didi Esther Walson-Jack, alongside Heads of Service from the 36 states and the Federal Capital Territory.

The governor stressed that advances in technology, changing workforce dynamics and rising public expectations require governments to rethink the structure and operations of the civil service.

According to him, public institutions should not merely respond to change but anticipate and lead it through policies that reward competence, innovation, integrity and outstanding performance.

Describing the public service as the “engine room of government,” Fubara said it remains the institution through which government policies are translated into programmes and essential services delivered to citizens.

He noted that no administration can achieve sustainable development without a competent, motivated and efficient workforce.

“The strength of any government is ultimately reflected in the quality of its public service,” he said, adding that a disciplined, innovative and performance-driven civil service is fundamental to economic growth, institutional stability and public confidence.

Fubara challenged members of the National Council on Establishments to ensure that their deliberations produce practical and implementable recommendations capable of strengthening institutional capacity, promoting transparency, deepening professionalism and improving productivity across the Nigerian public service.

Highlighting reforms undertaken by his administration, the governor said Rivers State has continued to prioritise the welfare and professional development of civil servants through improved remuneration and better working conditions.

He disclosed that the state pays a minimum wage above the nationally approved benchmark while maintaining prompt payment of salaries, pensions, gratuities and Christmas bonuses.

The governor also said regular staff promotions have been restored to reward competence and years of service, while work is nearing completion on the comprehensive renovation and modernisation of the State Secretariat Complex to provide civil servants with a technology-driven and conducive work environment.

According to him, these measures reflect his administration’s belief that a motivated and well-equipped workforce is critical to efficient governance and improved service delivery.

Fubara also commended the Head of the Civil Service of the Federation, Mrs Didi Esther Walson-Jack, for what he described as her bold leadership in driving reforms aimed at improving professionalism, innovation, performance management and institutional excellence within the Federal Civil Service.

He expressed optimism that the resolutions of the 48th National Council on Establishments meeting would shape the future of public administration in Nigeria by strengthening institutions, improving career management systems and enhancing governance nationwide.

Fubara Pushes for Sweeping Public Service Reforms, Digital Transformation