A federal high court sitting in Abuja has is preventing the government from implementing the recommendations of the fuel subsidy report by asking the federal government not to prosecute any member of Integrated Oil and Gas Ltd, one of the companies alleged to have received fuel subsidy money without importing fuel.
The company, which is owned by a former Internal Affairs Minister, Emmanuel Ihenacho, sued the government and its agents, following the indictment of the company as one of the major oil marketers that collected foreign exchange from the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) and failed to import or supply the fuel.
According to Justice Gladys Olotu, Presiding Judge on the case, “the government and its agents are hereby prevented from arresting, detaining, prosecuting and recovering the N13.2 billion alleged to have been received by the plaintiff as fuel subsidy claims, pending the determination of the case”.
In their case, the plaintiff had sought a declaration that the resolution of the first defendant passed on April 25th, which approved the report of the Ad-hoc Committee was illegal. Justice Oluto, thereby granted accelerated hearing in the suit, saying “this summons is hereby accorded an accelerated hearing in order to expeditiously dispose of it.” The case has been adjourned to October 18 for further hearing.
