A faction of Malabu Oil & Gas Ltd has filed a N1 trillion suit against the federal government over the splitting of the Oil Prospecting Licence (OPL) 245.
In the suit filed in the firm’s name through its lawyer, Reuben Atabo, a Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN), the plaintiff sought an order from Judge Mohammed Umar of the Federal High Court in Abuja to quash the government’s conversion of OPL 245 to OML 245.
Malabu sued the President, the Attorney-General of the Federation (AGF) and the Minister of Petroleum Resources in the suit marked FHC/ABJ/CS/871/2026.
In a motion on notice filed on 25 May by Mr Atabo, the company argued that the conversion of OPL 245 to OML 245 was done while several cases were pending at the Federal High Court up to the Supreme Court.
It therefore sought a declaration that splitting OPL 245 into four assets—to be managed by Shell Nigeria Ultra-Deep Limited, Shell Nigeria Exploration Production Company Ltd, Nigerian Agip Exploration Company Ltd, and NNPC Limited through the OPL 245 Resolution Agreement signed around 5 March—was unlawful.
