Malabu Oil & Gas Ltd has filed a ₦1 trillion suit against the Federal Government over the splitting of Oil Prospecting Licence 245.
The company filed the suit before Justice Mohammed Umar of the Federal High Court in Abuja through its lawyer, Reuben Atabo, SAN. Malabu is asking the court to quash the conversion of OPL 245 to OML 245 and declare the action unlawful.
In the suit marked FHC/ABJ/CS/871/2026, Malabu listed the President, the Attorney-General of the Federation, and the Minister of Petroleum Resources as the 1st to 3rd respondents.
According to the notice of motion filed on May 25, the company said the conversion was carried out while several related cases were pending from the Federal High Court up to the Supreme Court.
Malabu is also seeking a declaration that splitting OPL 245 into four assets under 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 on March 5 was unlawful.
The company wants the court to award ₦1 trillion in damages against the respondents jointly and severally for what it described as unlawful interference with its interests and actions beyond the limits of the Petroleum Industry Act 2021.
In an affidavit, shareholder and director Alhaji Mohammed Sani Abacha detailed the company’s history and its long legal battle over OPL 245.
Justice Umar had on Thursday granted Malabu leave to apply for judicial review of the government’s action. He fixed June 11 for the hearing of the matter.
