Onoita v. Texaco Nigeria Plc (2024)
Citation: Onoita v. Texaco Nigeria Plc (2024) SC/504/2018
Court: Supreme Court of Nigeria
Date Delivered: 14 June 2024
Area of Law: Civil Procedure, Jurisdiction, Employment Law
Facts
The appellant sought to enforce claims for unpaid entitlements allegedly owed to his deceased father by the respondent company. The lower courts dismissed the claim on grounds related to limitation of action and jurisdiction.
Issues for Determination
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Whether the issue of jurisdiction can be raised at any stage of proceedings.
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Whether an appellate court can consider jurisdiction even if not challenged earlier.
Decision
The Supreme Court dismissed the appeal and upheld the decision of the Court of Appeal.
Ratio Decidendi
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Jurisdiction is fundamental and radical; where a court lacks jurisdiction, the entire proceedings are a nullity.
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An issue of jurisdiction can be raised at any time, even for the first time on appeal.
Significance
This judgment restates a settled principle and serves as a caution to litigants that procedural acquiescence cannot confer jurisdiction on a court.
