The Chief and Head of Dan-Jumbo Chieftaincy House of Bonny Kingdom, Se-Alabo Clinton Ibiwari Gibson Dan-Jumbo, Jene IV has commended the Group Chairman of Niger Delta Projects Consortium Limited, Jasper Jumbo for his tenacity in pursuing the interest of Jumbo House. 

Se-Alabo Dan-Jumbo gave this commendation on Saturday, May 24, 2025 in a telephone chat with Kristina Reports while reacting to the judgment of the Court of Appeal on the dispute regarding the alleged criminal lease of Jumbo House land to the Nigeria Liquefied Natural Gas Limited (NLNG) by Shell Petroleum Development Company (SPDC).

Justices Yusuf Bashir, Abubakar Mahmud Talba and Elfreda Oluwayemisi Williams-Dawodu delivered the said judgment in Appeal No.: CA/PH/619/2019 on Wednesday, April 30, 2025 at the Port Harcourt Division of the Court of Appeal.

The said land, which currently situates the Bonny Oil and Gas Terminal (BOGT), was leased to Shell by Jumbo and Brown Chieftaincy Houses of Bonny Kingdom on Tuesday, 22nd July, 1958.

Strangely, Shell allegedly leased part of the land to NLNG as part of its equity participation as a shareholder. In fact, precisely 139.4 hectares was leased by Shell to NLNG for its Train 7 project.

The action was challenged by Jumbo House in suit number: PHC/2018/2017 and the trial court declared the lease illegal and awarded costs against Shell.

Shell appealed the judgment in appeal number: CA/PH/619/2019, but after considering the arguments of the counsel to the appellant, Franklin Peterside, the Appeal Court in a unanimous judgment by all three Justices on its Panel on Wednesday, April 30, 2025, dismissed the appeal as lacking merit.

While Shell Petroleum Development Company of Nigeria Limited is the claimant in the appeal, the respondents are Jasper Jumbo, Adolphus William Jumbo, Tamunoala Chapp-Jumbo, Fubara Jumbo, David Jumbo, Fidelis Jumbo, Innocent Dibiebuma, Daniel Jumbo, Soimi Kaladappa, Gift Jumbo, Nixon Jumbo and Achibald Jumbo.

Also joined as respondents are the Nigeria Liquefied Natural Gas Limited (NLNG) and the Amanyanabo and Natural Ruler of Bonny Kingdom, His Majesty, King Edward Asimini William Dappa Pepple III, CON, JP, Perekule XI.

Reacting to the judgment, Se-Alabo Dan-Jumbo lauded the patriotic efforts of the litigants, noting that the Appeal Court’s decision is helpful to the quest by the Jumbo House comprising Jumbo Major House, Dan-Jumbo House and John Jumbo House to coalesce and appropriate the benefits of its assets.    

He further explained that the alleged criminal sub lease of the Shell land as equity in NLNG was an aberration that is deserving of the strictest sanctions the law can avail, stating the age-old legal principle, “Nemo dat quod non habet”, meaning “you can’t give what you don’t have, asserting that “Shell gave out a land that did not belong to it”.

He expressed delight in the fact that Jumbo House still has people who look out for its interest, urging other members of the House to align with the drive to recover its assets, structure them in a such a way as to derive the best benefits from them