NLNG wins 4-year legal battle with NIMASA

The federal high court in Lagos has ruled that Nigeria LNG Limited (NLNG) was right in its refusal to pay levies demanded by the Nigerian Maritime Administration and Security Agency (NIMASA), The Cable reports.
NIMASA had said NLNG was liable to pay three percent gross freight on its international inbound and outbound cargo, sea protection levy, two percent cabotage surcharge on all activities carried out for and on its behalf, as well as other sundry claims, all of which NLNG disputed. NIMASA had blocked the company’s export from Bonny Island for 22 days.

In 2013, NLNG filed the case against NIMASA at the federal high court. Delivering his judgment, Justice M.B. Idris said NLNG was not liable to make the said payments to NIMASA, and that all such payments already made by NLNG to NIMASA should be refunded. He said NIMASA was wrong in blocking the Bonny Channel for the purpose of enforcing the payments against NLNG.