No Compensation For Nigeria Against Eni, Italian Court Rules

Hope has dimmed for Nigerian Government in a legal pursuit for compensation against Italian oil and gas firm, Eni SPA, over oil drilling.

On Friday, a court in Milan, Italy rejected an appeal by Nigeria, which sought compensation from the Italian company in a corruption case related to oil-drilling rights in Nigeria.

Eni on Friday said that it was satisfied with the decision from the Milan Court of Appeal. Eni, including Chief Executive Officer, Claudio Descalzi, and Shell PLC, were on trial over a payment made for drilling rights in Nigeria that prosecutors argued was mostly for the purpose of bribes.

Eni and Shell had jointly bought drilling rights off the coast of Nigeria in 2011 in an area known as OPL 245.

However, Italian prosecutors in July dropped a legal challenge over the acquittal of Eni.