Rivers Community Appeals Milan Court Ruling, Faces N250m Legal Cost in Oil Flooding Case

Aggah community in Ogba/Egbema/Ndoni Local Government Area of Rivers State has appealed a judgment of the Ordinary Court of Milan, Italy, which dismissed its claims for additional environmental remediation and compensation in a long-running flooding dispute involving Italian energy giant Eni S.p.A. and Oando Energy Resources Nigeria Limited.
The appeal follows the April 9, 2026 ruling of the Milan court, which held that Eni and its former Nigerian subsidiary, Nigerian Agip Oil Company (NAOC), had met their obligations under a 2019 settlement agreement aimed at addressing persistent flooding in the community.
The judgment also awarded legal costs of €180,000 equivalent to more than N250 million against the claimants, a development community leaders described as a major setback in their decades-long quest for environmental justice.
The appeal is being pursued by the Egbema Voice of Freedom (EVF), Advocates for Community Alternatives (ACA), and community activist Pastor Nicholas Evaristus Ukaonu on behalf of affected residents.
The appellants argue that the court failed to adequately consider evidence linking the flooding crisis to oil infrastructure developed around the Mgbede oil field, where Eni has operated since the 1960s.
According to community representatives, the construction of large earthen embankments and elevated access roads in the early 1970s altered natural waterways and contributed significantly to recurring floods that have devastated farmlands, homes, and sources of livelihood.
Residents claim the annual flooding has displaced families, polluted water sources, destroyed crops, disrupted fishing activities, and contributed to loss of lives over several decades.
During the litigation, Eni sold NAOC to Oando, which subsequently renamed the company Oando Energy Resources Nigeria Limited.
The Milan court, while affirming its jurisdiction over overseas activities of Italian parent companies, ruled that the companies had complied with the 2019 Terms of Settlement brokered through Italy’s Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) National Contact Point. The court cited the construction of 14 drainage channels and related feasibility studies as evidence of compliance.
However, the appellants contend that the court focused on whether infrastructure was constructed rather than whether the measures effectively solved the flooding problem.
They pointed to findings contained in the Final Flood Aggah Community Report, internal company documents, a Nigerian court judgment involving Eni’s subsidiary, and reports by the Rivers State Ministry of Environment, which allegedly identified access roads linked to oil wells as major obstructions to natural water flow.
According to the appellants, these roads effectively function as dams, worsening flooding across the community.
They further challenged the court’s decision that EVF lacked the legal standing to seek compensation on behalf of approximately 1,900 affected residents, arguing that the ruling prevented proper consideration of the extensive evidence presented.
Describing the judgment as unusual for an environmental litigation case, the appellants said the decision raises important questions about corporate accountability and the effectiveness of environmental remediation efforts.
Pastor Ukaonu expressed disappointment over the ruling and the substantial legal costs imposed on the community.
“How can the judge ask the oppressed to pay €180,000 to the oppressor, who has taken our oil for more than 50 years and left us flooded for the same number of years and counting?” he said.
He nevertheless insisted that the community remains determined to pursue justice through the appellate process.
“This is a difficult moment for us as a community, but we are not deterred. We have gone to appeal regardless of the punitive cost,” he added.
Community leaders warned that with another rainy season approaching, residents remain vulnerable to recurring floods, environmental degradation, unsafe water conditions and economic hardship.
They reaffirmed their commitment to securing a permanent solution to the flooding crisis and obtaining relief for affected residents whose livelihoods depend largely on farming and fishing.
The appeal now places the dispute before a higher Italian court, where the community hopes to overturn the ruling and revive its claims for compensation and comprehensive environmental remediation.