Foreign News
Eni Takes Nigeria to Int’l Arbitration Over Oilfields Dispute
Italian oil giant, Eni has filed a request for arbitration against Nigeria at the World Bank’s dispute settlement body and plans to argue that the country’s failure to allow it to exploit an oilfield it acquired with Royal Dutch Shell RDSa.L nearly a decade ago breaches their investment agreement, court documents show.
OPL 245, an offshore field awarded to the two oil companies in 2011, is the subject of multiple court cases worldwide, including a criminal case in Milan in which the Nigerian government alleges roughly $1.
1 billion of payments from the companies was siphoned to politicians and middlemen. Shell and Eni have denied any wrongdoing.Eni has submitted a request for arbitration against Nigeria with the World Bank’s International Centre for Settlement of Investor Disputes (ICSID), of which Nigeria is a member state, a posting on ICSID’s website shows.
It shows the case was registered on Oct. 9 but does not give details. Shell is not a party to the request, according to the posting.An Eni spokesman said that the request for arbitration was aimed at protecting its investments and investors, and that it was confident of a satisfactory solution for both parties.
The Italian oil major also filed a request for evidence on Oct. 6 with a court in the U.S. state of Delaware which it says it wants to use in the ICSID arbitration and in the Milan case, according to documents from the court seen by Reuters.
“Specifically, Eni (through its subsidiaries), will contend that Nigeria’s actions violate multiple provisions of the bilateral investment treaty by pursuing a campaign of unfounded claims against Eni and improperly conditioning the conversion of OPL 245 into an OML,” Eni’s filing to the court shows.
An oil prospecting license (OPL) allows a company to explore for oil, but once it finds recoverable oil, the licence needs to be converted to an oil mining license (OML) for it to be able to produce and export.
Nigeria’s presidency declined to comment when asked about Eni’s court filing and the arbitration case. Neither the attorney general’s office nor the Ministry of Petroleum Resources immediately responded to requests for comment.
In the Delaware court documents, Eni said it believed “third parties” were behind Nigeria’s lack of action on its request to convert OPL 245 into an oil mining license and on its efforts to claim some $1 billion in damages.
The company said it was seeking information from Poplar Falls LLC and private investment management firm Drumcliffe Partners LLC, U.S. companies registered in Delaware, on any agreement they have to fund Nigeria’s litigation efforts.
Asked about Eni’s court filing, Drumcliffe said it was working with Nigeria’s asset recovery agency to recover fraudulent payments made in relation to OPL 245 and that it would “oppose Eni’s efforts to the fullest.”
“What is immediately clear is that Eni is pursuing every avenue to avoid accountability for its role in one of the largest frauds in the history of the oil and gas industry,” Jim Little, principal of Drumcliffe, said in a statement.
Reuters could not reach a representative of Poplar Falls for comment.
A palliative care nurse in Germany has been sentenced to life in prison after he was convicted of the murder of 10 patients and the attempted murder of 27 others.
Prosecutors alleged that the man, who has not been publicly named, injected his mostly elderly patients with painkillers or sedatives in an effort to ease his workload during shifts overnight.
The offences were committed between December 2023 and May 2024 in a hospital in Wuerselen, in western Germany.
Investigators are reported to be looking into several other suspicious cases during his career.
The unnamed man had been employed at the hospital in Wuerselen since 2020, after completing training as a nursing professional in 2007.
Prosecutors told a court in Aachen that he showed “irritation” and a lack of empathy to patients who required a higher level of care, and accused him of playing “master of life and death”.
The court was told that he injected patients with large doses of morphine and midazolam, a type of sedative, in an effort to reduce his workload during night shifts.
He was arrested in 2024.
When issuing the life sentence, the court said that the man’s crimes carried a “particular severity of guilt” which should bar him from early release after 15 years.
He will be able to appeal the verdict.
Prosecutors have said that exhumations are taking place to identify further potential victims, which could see the man put on trial again.
The case bears similarity to that of former nurse Niels Högel, who was handed a life sentence in 2019 after he was convicted of murdering 85 patients at two hospitals in northern Germany.
A court found that he administered lethal doses of heart medication to people in his care between 1999 and 2005.
He is believed to be the most prolific killer in Germany’s modern history.
Cameroon’s 92-year-old leader Paul Biya has been sworn in for another seven years as president in a ceremony at the country’s parliament in Yaoundé.
Biya won a controversial eighth term in a fiercely disputed election last month.
He has been in power for 43 years, and addressed only one campaign rally before the election.
The nonagenarian, the world’s oldest head of state, won 54% of the vote, compared to the 35% of Issa Tchiroma Bakary, according to the official results.
Tchiroma Bakary maintains he was the rightful winner of the poll and has accused the authorities of fraud, which they have denied.The announcement of the result led to major protests across the country.
From Dan Amasingha, Minna
The Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN), Niger State chapter has appealed to all the stakeholders in Niger State to ensure that November 1 local government polls are peaceful.Chairman of CAN in the state, Most Rev. Dr. Bulus Dauwa Yohanna called on residents to come out en masse to exercise their franchise during the local government council elections.
The State CAN Chairman advised that voter apathy is not a good sign for the process and urged residents to actively participate in the forthcoming Local Government Elections. Yohanna, who is also the Catholic Bishop of Kontagora Diocese in a statement in Minna urged eligible voters who have registered to go get their Permanent Voter’s Card from the Independent National Electoral Commission’s (INEC office.According to him; “the 2025 local government elections are around the corner, I want to appeal to those who are yet to collect their PVCs to quickly collect them to avoid unnecessary rush and to regret in the future.”He therefore called on all Christian faithfuls to participate actively in the electoral process adding that “it is your civic right.”In his words, the Chairman said: “I call on all residents to participate in the November, 1st Chairmanship and Councillorship elections.“Let it be known that we are the determinants of who leads us at the local and grassroots levels. As Christians, we must participate actively in politics either as members of political parties or as electorates.“To avoid voter apathy, let us come out and vote in the people of our choice into various offices”.He admonished political parties to feed candidates that can provide basic amenities and meet the yearnings of the people.According to him, there is a need for all Bloc leaders both at the State and LGA level, leaders/heads of churches to call on their members not to sit on the fence but to participate actively and to ignore statements like “Votes do not count”.While calling on security personnel to discharge their duties, he appealed to Nigerlites to conduct themselves peacefully during and after the elections and avoid any acts that will bring about break down of law and order in the state.Bishop Yohanna also called on the INEC to publish and announce PVCs collection centres to enable those who registered online to pick up their cards.
COAS ON MAIDEN OPERATIONAL TOUR, CHARGES TROOPS TO ANNIHILATE INSURGENCY IN NORTH EAST
ShareIn a bold demonstration of renewed strategic resolve to stamp out insurgency and restore enduring peace to the North East,...
New Army Chief, Shaibu Visits Maiduguri to Assess Security, Boost Troop Morale
ShareFrom Muhammad Muhammad Al-amin, Maiduguri The newly appointed Chief of Army Staff, Lt. Gen. Waidi Shaibu has embarked on an...
Fadahunsi, Oyetola, Alkali, Keyamo Meet, Strategise APC 2027 Election Victory
ShareFrom Ayinde Akintade, Osogbo Ahead of the 2027 general election, Sen. Francis Adenigba Fadahunsi representing Osun East Senatorial District and...
Oborevwori Approves N8.4bn for Payment of DESOPADEC’s Outstanding Contract Liabilities
ShareFrom Francis Sadhere, Delta Delta State Governor, Sheriff Oborevwori, has approved the release of N8.4 billion to the Delta State...
Community Leader, Yenevie Express Gratitude Ahead of BMNA Award Ceremony
ShareFrom Mike Tayese, Yenagoa The Community Development Chairman (CDC), of Amarata Community in Yenagoa Local Government Area of Bayelsa State,...
Navy Rescues 11 Passengers from Sinking Boat, Shuts Illegal Refineries in Delta, Rivers
ShareThe Nigerian Navy has rescued 11 passengers from a sinking speedboat and deactivated several illegal refining sites in Rivers and...
CDIAL’s Indigenous AI Empower Helium Health’s AI-Powered Youth Platform in Nigeria
ShareBy Tony Obiechina, Abuja CDIAL, through its Indigenous AI suite, has partnered with Helium Health in delivering transformative healthcare innovation...
Senate Clears Air Peace for Runway Overrun
ShareBy Eze Okechukwu, Abuja After a mild faceoff between members of the Senate Committee on Aviation and the Chairman of...
Road Accidents Claim 4,000 Lives in Eight Months, Says FRSC
ShareBy Elijah Oguche, Abuja The Federal Road Safety Corps has said that 3,915 persons lost their lives in 7,715 road...
Nigeria ’ll Defeat Terrorism, Build Stronger Partnerships, Tinubu Vows
ShareBy David Torough, Abuja President Bola Tinubu has reaffirmed his administration’s commitment to defeating terrorism and strengthening diplomatic ties with...