Soku oil wells: Bayelsa government sues Federal Government

Bayelsa State government has approached the Supreme Court asking for an order stopping the Federal Government over the payment of monthly statutory allocation from Soku oil wells to Rivers State.

In a suit filed in Abuja, the Bayelsa State Government is invoking the original jurisdiction of the Supreme Court, which enables a state government to sue the Federal Government directly at the apex court.

A Federal High Court had earlier in December 2019 ruled that Rivers State owns the disputed Soku oil wells located in Akuku-Toru Local Government Area of Rivers State.

In a judgment in Suit Number FHC/ABJ/CS/984/19, the Attorney-General of Rivers State versus National Boundary Commission, Justice Inyang Ekwo of the Federal High Court declared that after examining all the documents from relevant Government agencies and facts before the court, the Soku Oil Wells/fields belong to Rivers State.

Bayelsa State in its suit against the Federal Government however claims that it stands to lose billions of naira accruable to it if the Federation Accounts Allocation Committee (FAAC) complies with the judgement and pays the allocation to Rivers State.

Bayelsa State is also seeking an interlocutory injunction against Akwa Ibom state asking the Supreme Court to stop the Revenue Mobilization Allocation and Fiscal Commission from withholding its statutory allocation or deducting it in favour of Akwa Ibom State.

Although no date has yet been fixed for the hearing, the Attorney General of Bayelsa State Biriyai Dambo stressed the importance of the suit.