Oil Ownership: Niger Delta Monarchs, CSOs Sue NASS, Demand N1tn Damages

The Federal High Court in Abuja has been asked to restrain the National Assembly from proceeding with its ongoing review of the Constitution.

The request is contained in a suit marked: FHC/ABJ/CS/FHC/ABJ/CS/8/2022 filed by some leaders of the Niger-Delta and groups.

They include Regent King of Diobu Kingdom in Delta Nigeria, King Oziwe Amba Albert; Chief Wombo Bulus, Otunba Karim Sekanobi, Chief James Onyi Kokomi, Comrade Danjuma Modu, suing on behalf of themselves and their group, the Peoples Confederal Constituents Assembly of Nigeria (PECCAN).

Also listed among the plaintiff is the Centre for Probity and Democratic Studies (CPDS).

Listed as respondents in the fundamental rights enforcement suit are the President of the Senate, Clerk of the National Assembly and the Chairman, Senate Committee on Constitution Amendment.

The applicants are contending that the continued operation of the1999 Constitution, which they referred to as the “transitional constitution No: 24 of 1999 (otherwise called the Abubakar constitution), would sustain the abrogation of their rights to control their natural resources and the rights of the minority in the Nigerian federation.

They want, among others, “an order stopping the continued illegal amendment of the purpose expired military transitional constitution otherwise known as the Abubakar constitution”

The plaintiff also want an order directing the re-adoption of the “unrepealed and unabrogated people-made 1963 Republican constitution/Nigerian ground norm,” which they claimed was applicable and appropriate for the present state of affairs in the country.

They equally want the court to award N1 trillion as damages against the respondents.

The plaintiffs explained that the N1 trillion was for the violation of their rights due to the continued operation of “the expired military decreed constitution” as an instrument to suppress, oppress, dominate, re-colonise and seize their natural resources of the applicants and their protected rights under the African and UN Charter to own and use their properties and natural resources as also enshrined in the 1963 constitution providing for 50 percent royalties paid for the regions.

They also filed, along with the substantive suit, a motion on notice for interlocutory injunctions.