Some Nigerian youths under the aegis of the Ethnic Youth Leaders and Patriotic Youth Organisations have urged the Federal Government to nationalise Shell Petroleum Development Company Limited assets in the country.

The group, in suit number FHC/ABJ/CS/252/2021, filed before the Federal High Court in Abuja, alleged that a letter written by the Department of Petroleum Resources accused the oil firm of understating the volume of crude oil pumped to the terminal.

They also alleged that Shell, in a letter, committed to refunding about 2.1 million barrels of crude to some local oil companies, including Belema Oil, Newcross, AITEO and Eroton.

The Federal High Court in Lagos had on January 25 granted an interim injunction directing commercial banks to block SPDC and its subsidiary accounts, in a bid to recover the cash value of more than 16 million barrels of crude oil allegedly diverted by the firm from AITEO Eastern E and P Company Ltd.

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The youth urged the court to order the Federal Government “to expropriate, nationalise and take over all assets, investments and interests of Shell found anywhere or traceable within the Federal Republic of Nigeria.”

Speaking on behalf of the group at a protest in Abuja, the President of the Middle Belt Youth Council, Godwin Meliga said the DPR imposed a penalty of N250,000 on the oil firm for using an unapproved metering system.