The Supreme Court has restrained Attorney General of the Federation (AGF), the Imo State Attorney General and others from taking any further steps in relation to the boundary dispute between Rivers and Imo State that touches on the ownership of the Akri and Mgbede oil wells.
The apex court, in a chambers sitting on Wednesday, granted the order contained in an ex-parte motion filed by Emmanuel Ukala (SAN) for the Attorney General of Rivers State.
The court specifically made an interim order restraining the first and second defendants (AGF and Imo AG) and their agents, including the Revenue Mobilisation Allocation, and Fiscal Commission (RMAFC) and the office of the Accountant-General of the Federation (AGF) from giving effect to the letter from the office of the Chairman of RMAFC, with Reference Number RMC/O&G/47/1/264 dated July 1, 2021 directing a departure from the current 50/50 sharing formula applied to Rivers and Imo state in respect of revenue accrued, accruing or derived from the Akri and Mgbede Oil Wells/Fields, subject matter of this suit and in its place, directing deductions to be made from the revenue accruing from the said oil wells to Rivers State and in favour of Imo State.
The order, according to court documents obtained on Wednesday, is to subsist pending the determination of the motion on notice for interlocutory injunction filed on June 16 this year by the plaintiff in a pending suit filed by Rivers State.
In the substantive suit marked: SC/CV/1037/2020, with the AGF and Imo AG as defendants, Rivers State is contesting Imo State’s claim to some communities in its territory housing many oil wells.
Details shortly…