Rivers, Bayelsa, Akwa Ibom Oil Fields Dispute: Court Orders Petroleum Minister to Maintain Status Quo
By Naija Enquirer Staff
The Federal High Court in Abuja, on Monday, ordered the Minister of State for Petroleum Resources (Oil), Heineken Lokpobiri, and other parties to maintain the status quo pending the hearing and determination of a suit involving four oil fields located in Rivers, Bayelsa and Akwa Ibom states.
Justice Emeka Nwite gave the order after the plaintiffs, Hi-Rev Oil Limited and Hi-Rev Exploration and Production Ltd, through their counsel, Ambrose Unaeze, urged the court to intervene, citing the nature of the case and the risk to the disputed assets before the next adjourned date.
The suit also lists the Attorney-General of the Federation (AGF) and the Nigeria Upstream Petroleum Regulatory Commission (NUPRC) as defendants.
Background to the Dispute
Earlier, on December 22, 2025, Justice Nwite had directed the defendants to show cause why the reliefs sought by the plaintiffs in their motion ex parte should not be granted.
The oil and gas companies, in a motion filed on December 11, sought an interim injunction restraining the defendants from selling, assigning or allocating Yorla South (Petroleum Prospecting Licence (PPL) 2A32 – OML 11) located in Rivers State.
They also asked the court to restrain the defendants from allocating Akiapiri (PPL 2A48 – OML 25) in Bayelsa State, Diebu Creek East (OML 32), also in Bayelsa, and Idiok (PPL 2A41 – OML 67) located in Akwa Ibom State.
The plaintiffs claimed that the oil mining leases were direct replacements for the Utapate Oil Field (formerly part of OML 13) and OPL 2002, which were previously allocated to them but later withdrawn by the defendants.
Plaintiffs’ Arguments
Mr Unaeze told the court that the withdrawal of the earlier allocations was unreasonable and contrary to an existing settlement agreement between the parties, which he said had been adopted by the court as a consent judgment.
He further argued that the companies had taken substantial steps and offered consideration towards the grant of the oil prospecting licences and a licence to establish a petroleum refinery.
According to him, the plaintiffs’ legal rights were under threat following moves by the defendants to sell or allocate the disputed oil fields to third parties through a public bid round.
Defendants’ Responses
At the resumed hearing on Monday, January 5, Mr Unaeze informed the court that the minister and the NUPRC had just served him their memorandum of conditional appearance, counter-affidavit and preliminary objection in court, and requested time to respond.
He also applied that the defendants should give an undertaking not to take any action affecting the subject matter of the suit pending its determination.
Counsel to the AGF, Oyinlade Koleoso, said his client had filed a counter-affidavit and preliminary objection but was yet to serve the plaintiffs. He added that the AGF was not in a position to allocate oil blocks.
NUPRC’s counsel, J. A. Olugbade, opposed the plaintiffs’ application, relying on the commission’s counter-affidavit and preliminary objection.
However, counsel to Mr Lokpobiri, J. N. Tabaya, told the court that he did not have instructions from his client to give the undertaking sought, prompting the judge to question the position of parties while a matter was before the court. Mr Tabaya subsequently stated that the parties would maintain the status quo.
Court Order
In his ruling, Justice Nwite granted the plaintiffs’ application and ordered all parties to maintain the status quo pending the hearing and determination of the case.
The matter was adjourned until January 26 for hearing.
