The Federal High Court in Abuja has adjourned a suit filed by Dangote Petroleum Refinery and Petrochemicals FZE against Nigeria National Petroleum Company, NNPC, Limited and others over oil import licence dispute until November 5 for hearing.
The matter, which was earlier fixed for today for hearing, could not proceed due to the absence of Justice Mohammed Umar in court.
Justice Umar, the presiding judge, was said to be sitting at the Enugu division of the court.
The court subsequently fixed November 5 for the hearing of the suit.
The judge had, on July 10, ordered parties in the case to regularise their processes ahead of the hearing of the suit.
Justice Umar also ordered that hearing notices be issued and served on the defendants that were not in court.
The suit, which was formerly before Justice Inyang Ekwo, began denovo (afresh) following its reassignment to Justice Umar.
Dangote Refinery had sued the Nigeria Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority, NMDPRA, and Nigeria National Petroleum Corporation Limited, NNPCL, as 1st and 2nd defendants.
Also joined in the suit are AYM Shafa Limited, A. A. Rano Limited, T. Time Petroleum Limited, 2015 Petroleum Limited, and Matrix Petroleum Services Limited as 3rd to 7th defendants respectively.
The oil company, through its lawyer, Ogwu Onoja (SAN), prayed the court to nullify import licences issued by NMDPRA to the NNPCL, and the five other companies for the purpose of importing refined petroleum products.
Dangote Refinery (plaintiff) also prayed the court to declare that NMDPRA was in violation of Sections 317(8) and (9) of the Petroleum Industry Act, PIA, by issuing licenses for the importation of petroleum products.
It stated that such licenses should only be issued in circumstances where there is a petroleum product shortfall.
It equally sought a N100 billion in damages against NMDPRA for allegedly continuing to issue import licences to NNPCL and the five companies for importing petroleum products, among other reliefs.
The NNPCL, in its preliminary objection, prayed the court to strike out the case for being incompetent.
The NNPCL argued that the suit was premature and it disclosed no cause of action against it.
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