The Aggah community in Ogba/Egbema/Ndoni Local Government Area of Rivers State has appealed a judgment of the Ordinary Court of Milan, Italy, in a long-running environmental case involving Eni S.p.A. and Oando Energy Resources Nigeria Limited over flooding linked to oil infrastructure in the area.
The appeal was filed by the Egbema Voice of Freedom (EVF), Advocates for Community Alternatives (ACA), and community activist Nicholas Evaristus Ukaonu, challenging the court’s dismissal of claims for environmental destruction, compensation and further remediation.
The development was disclosed during a virtual meeting titled Justice for Aggah People, attended by civil society organisations, legal practitioners, media professionals and other stakeholders. The session was moderated by Philip Jakpor of the Renevlyn Development Initiative.
According to the appellants, oil operations in the Mgbede oil field have altered natural water channels in Aggah since the 1960s, resulting in recurrent flooding that has destroyed homes, farmlands and livelihoods.
Community representatives argued that oil infrastructure operated by the former Nigerian Agip Oil Company (NAOC), now under Oando Energy Resources, including embankments and elevated access roads serving wellheads 11, 18 and 20, obstructed natural waterways and worsened flooding across the community.
In its April 9, 2026 ruling, the Milan Court reportedly accepted jurisdiction over overseas corporate conduct but dismissed claims for additional remediation and compensation, holding that the 2019 Terms of Settlement had been fulfilled through the construction of drainage channels and the completion of feasibility studies.
The court ruled that the agreement did not guarantee the elimination of flooding but required only the execution of specified remedial works, a position the claimants argue fails to address continuing environmental damage.
Reacting to the judgment, community activist Nicholas Evaristus Ukaonu said the ruling overlooked the realities faced by residents.
He argued that the court focused on whether infrastructure projects were completed rather than whether they effectively resolved the flooding problem, despite evidence including environmental assessments, flood reports and government findings indicating that oil-related infrastructure continued to impede natural water flow.
Legal counsel to the claimants and Executive Director of the Environmental Defenders Network, Chima Williams, also criticised the judgment, insisting that compliance with environmental obligations should be assessed based on outcomes rather than procedural completion.
Williams maintained that the flooding crisis remains unresolved, with residents continuing to suffer losses to property, livelihoods and the environment.
The appellants also challenged the court’s decision to dismiss aspects of the case on standing grounds and to award more than €180,000 in legal costs against the community groups.
Ukaonu described the cost award as unjust, arguing that it places an additional burden on a community that has endured decades of environmental challenges linked to oil operations.
Despite the setback, the community said it remains committed to pursuing legal redress and securing what it describes as a permanent engineering solution to the flooding, environmental restoration and compensation for affected residents.
The appeal now moves the case to a higher court as the community continues its decades-long campaign for environmental justice.
Blessing Ibunge in Port Harcourt
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