The Supreme Court has ordered the Federal Government and Imo state to within 15 days, file its defence and necessary processes in the suit filed by the Rivers government to stop it from ceding 17 disputed oil wells to Imo.
At the proceeding, Monday, the apex court granted the defence, Chief Olusola Oke, SAN, leave for an extension of time to file their defence.
Responding, the FG, through the Attorney General of Federation (AGF) said it filed a counter-affidavit against the Writ of Summons Rivers State lodged with respect to the disputed oil wells.
In its response, Imo state said it filed a motion on notice to query the jurisdiction of the Supreme Court to hear the case as a court of the first instance.
They further submit that the court should as well vacate the ex-parte order that halted the process for ceding of the oil wells to Imo state.
On his part, counsel to Rivers State, Ukala, SAN, said he filed a motion for the apex court to give direction on how the hearing would be conducted.
After it had listened to all the parties, the seven-man panel of justices of the court led by Justice Kekere Ekun, adjoined to January 17, 2022.
It will be recalled that the apex court had in an exparte ruling it delivered
Recall that on July 14, the Supreme court ordered FG and its agencies to halt actions pertaining to the alleged plan to cede the oil wells to Imo state, pending the determination of the suit by the Rivers state government.
The ruling followed an ex-parte application Rivers State argued through its lawyer, Mr. Emmanuel Ukala, SAN.
The Supreme Court specifically restrained the AGF and the Attorney General of Imo state from taking any further action on the ownership of the disputed 17 oil wells, pending resolution of legal issues surrounding its ownership.
It further barred the Revenue Mobilisation Allocation and the Fiscal Commission, RMAFC, and the office of the Accountant General of the Federation from approving, implementing, or giving effect in any manner to a letter from RMAFC office, with reference number RMC/O&G/47/1/264, dated July 1, 2021, which cancelled the equal sharing of proceeds from the 17 oil wells by Rivers and Imo states.