FEDERAL HIGH COURT PORT HARCOURT STRIKES OUT CASE AGAINST NOSDRA

Port Harcourt, Rivers State | 25 November 2025

The Federal High Court sitting in Port Harcourt, Rivers State, has struck out a case filed against the National Oil Spill Detection and Response Agency (NOSDRA) by Percy Nyengiyikado, Aribiba Ngeribara, and 998 other fishermen and women from Yayo-Ama village in Bolo community, Ogu/Bolo Local Government Area.

The court ruled that the case lacked merit.
According to the Director General of NOSDRA, Chukwuemeka Woke, the plaintiffs—acting on behalf of about one thousand fishermen and women—had instituted the suit in 2018, seeking to compel NOSDRA to carry out certain statutory responsibilities related to two oil spills that occurred in 2008 and 2009 at the Bolo West oil fields, operated by the Shell Petroleum Development Company of Nigeria (SPDC).

In a landmark judgment delivered by Hon. Justice E.A. Obile, the court dismissed the case, stating that the claims brought before it were not substantiated sufficiently to warrant judicial intervention.

The ruling marks a significant legal victory for NOSDRA and underscores the judiciary’s position on matters requiring clear demonstration of statutory breaches before reliefs can be granted.
The agency reaffirmed its commitment to fulfilling its mandate of ensuring prompt detection, reporting, and response to oil spills across the country, while strengthening collaboration with communities and industry stakeholders.