ENERGY NEWS: Couple Sues Shell Oil Company For Medical Negligence

Reported by Elson Ono

A couple, who are also employees, has instituted an action, in a High Court in Portharcourt, River State against Shell Petroleum Development Company (SPDC) for medical negligence. The couple, Emeka and Stella Okoli is seeking  N50 billion compensation for the negligent manner in which an appendectomy operation was carried out on their child, Chinazam, in an SPDC hospital.

As a result of this negligence, they alleged, Chinazam, who is their only child, suffered a brain damage; due to improper surgical procedure by the company and its medical doctors. This was in 2016, and their child has since been confined to wheel chair.

Sued alongside with Shell Petroleum are Dafe Akpoduado and Alexander Dimoko, as second and third defendants. They were the doctors, who performed the operation, in September 2016.

However, the case could not continue, owing to the objection brought by the counsel to the defendants, represented by Cyriacus Orlu, for SPDC, and Michael Amadi, for the 2^nd and 3^rd defendants. They said that there is a pending application objecting to the suit of the claimants, as a result of the way the writ of summon, used in instituting the case, was brought.

Their claim was that the writ of summon runs contrary to sections 97 and 98 of the Rules of Sheriff and Civil processes Act, and as a result, the case should be dismissed.

The Counsel to the claimants, Prof. Akin Ibidapo-Obe, told the court that the application referred to by the defence should be discountenanced.

The trial Judge adjourned the case for further hearing to March 23 and 24, 2022