The Supreme Court has dismissed an application by an oil giant, Shell Petroleum Development Company, requesting a revisit of a January 11, 2019 judgment ordering it to pay N17bn to some Ogoni communities in Rivers State.

The communities were affected by an oil spill from the company in 1970.

A five-man panel led by Justice OLABODE RHODES-VIVOUR unanimously dismissed the company’s application for a review of the judgment after upholding the preliminary objection filed by the communities’ legal team.

Justice CENTUS NWEZE prepared the lead ruling but it was read by another Justice of the apex court, Justice CHUKWUDUMEBI OSEJI, who is not a member of the five-man panel.

The apex court had in the case which had lasted about 31 years from when it started at the High Court, issued the N17bn order in favour of Ejama-Ebubu in Tai Eleme Local Government Area of Rivers State, represented by Chief Isaac Agbara and nine others.

The communities’ lead lawyer, LUCIUS IGWE, said that the judgment sum with the accrued interests for the 32 years period stood at about N182bn.