Eni said on 19 July 2022 that the OPL 245 criminal case had ended and that the March 2021 acquittals of Eni and its managers were full and final.

About: Eni S.p.A.
Claim made by: Eni, company statement
Published: 19 July 2022
Original: Eni: unmotivated and disconcerting Nigeria judicial case ended
Evidence score: 81 How it was scored
Last reviewed: 25 October 2026

Why this label

Eni's statement says the Prosecutor-General's Office dropped its appeal before the Milan Court of Appeal and that the March 2021 acquittals became final^S1. Reuters-sourced reports give the same account^S2^S9. The underlying acquittal of March 2021 is reported by Courthouse News^S3. Bloomberg reported in November 2023 that Nigeria would waive its civil claims in Italy against Eni^S5. Eni said on 5 March 2026 that an agreement with Nigeria settles all claims related to OPL 245 and ends its ICSID arbitration^S11. The description of the case as unmotivated and disconcerting is Eni's own view and is not assessed here. The status claim is supported. We did not read the Court of Appeal order.

Current procedural position

Criminal acquittal final after the appeal was dropped, announced 19 July 2022^S1^S9. Nigeria's civil claims in Italy to be waived per a November 2023 letter reported by Bloomberg^S5. All OPL 245 claims between Nigeria and Eni settled per Eni's statement of 5 March 2026^S11.

Record supporting the assessment

dropped criminal proceedings over a $1.3 billion Nigerian oilfield deal

^S2 Tier C The African Mirror (Emilio Parodi, citing Reuters), Italy prosecutors abandon $1.3 billion Eni Nigeria graft appeal, 20 July 2022

finalising the acquittal

^S9 Tier C Sweetcrude Reports (citing Reuters), Italy Court acquits Eni, Shell in $1.3bn Nigeria graft case, 19 July 2022

The agreement includes the mutually satisfactory settlement of all claims related to OPL 245

^S11 Tier B Eni S.p.A., The President of Nigeria Bola Tinubu meets Eni CEO Claudio Descalzi, 5 March 2026

Conflicting or limiting record

No record located that conflicts with this assessment.

Evidence score: 81 of 100

The score grades how well the record establishes this assessment. It is not a score of Eni S.p.A.. Score = source authority + directness + corroboration + procedural accuracy + currency + reproducibility.

Component	Points	Max	Reason
Source authorityIs the source competent to establish the proposition?	20	30	The main record is a company statement, backed by press.
DirectnessDoes the source state the proposition or only discuss adjacent facts?	18	20	The statement says the case ended in direct terms.
CorroborationDo independent records support the same material point?	12	15	Two Reuters-sourced reports and Bloomberg agree with the company account.
Procedural accuracyDoes the record settle the procedural state the claim describes?	13	15	The acquittal is final but the court order was not read.
CurrencyHas the record been checked against later developments?	9	10	The March 2026 settlement with Nigeria was checked.
ReproducibilityCan a reader locate the passage and repeat the assessment?	9	10	The statement and reports are public.
Total	81	100

Timeline

17 March 2021Milan court acquits Eni and Shell^S3
19 July 2022Prosecutors drop the appeal and the acquittal is final^S1^S9
16 November 2023Bloomberg reports Nigeria will waive its civil claims in Italy against Eni^S5
5 March 2026Eni announces an agreement settling all OPL 245 claims with Nigeria^S11

Related cases

Milan Public Prosecutor v Eni S.p.A., Royal Dutch Shell plc and othersTribunal of Milan. Criminal. Not published on the pages we read.Stage: Final acquittal
- 17 March 2021 Eni, Shell and the executives acquitted^S3
- 19 July 2022 Prosecutor-General drops appeal and acquittal becomes final^S1^S2^S9
Federal Republic of Nigeria v Eni S.p.A. and ShellItalian courts (civil claims of the Federal Republic of Nigeria). Civil. Not published.Stage: Waived by Nigeria, then settled
- 16 November 2023 Bloomberg reports a Nigerian letter waiving the claims in Italy against Eni unconditionally^S5
- 5 March 2026 Eni says an agreement with Nigeria settles all claims related to OPL 245^S11
Federal Republic of Nigeria v Royal Dutch Shell plc, Eni S.p.A. and othersHigh Court of England and Wales. Civil. Not published on the page we read.Stage: Dismissed for lack of jurisdiction
- 22 May 2020 A London judge rules England has no jurisdiction as the claim shares the facts of the Italian criminal case. Nigeria says it will seek permission to appeal^S10
- 5 March 2026 Eni says all OPL 245 claims between Nigeria and Eni are settled^S11

Responses

Eni, 5 March 2026: Eni said the agreement with Nigeria was a mutually satisfactory settlement of all OPL 245 claims.^S11

Revision history

25 October 2026 Assessment first published with label Supported.

Have a record that changes this assessment? See corrections and responses.

Sources

S2Tier C Italy prosecutors abandon $1.3 billion Eni Nigeria graft appealThe African Mirror (Emilio Parodi, citing Reuters). Press report. 20 July 2022.Reuters-sourced report that prosecutors dropped the criminal appeal, which makes the acquittals final, and that Nigeria's civil claim continued. It does not cover the two intermediaries. It replaces an undated Energy Voice page with no headline shown.Link working, checked 25 October 2026
S9Tier C Italy Court acquits Eni, Shell in $1.3bn Nigeria graft caseSweetcrude Reports (citing Reuters). Press report. 19 July 2022.Reuters-attributed report that the appeal court's step finalised the acquittal of Eni and Shell and that civil proceedings would continue. No reporter is credited.
S11Tier B The President of Nigeria Bola Tinubu meets Eni CEO Claudio DescalziEni S.p.A.. Company statement. 5 March 2026.Company account of an agreement with the Federal Government of Nigeria that settles all claims related to OPL 245 and discontinues Eni's ICSID arbitration. It does not mention Shell's claims or the London case.Link working, checked 25 October 2026
S3Tier C Shell, Eni Acquitted in Massive Corruption TrialCourthouse News Service (Cain Burdeau). Press report. March 2021.Reports the Milan acquittal on a Wednesday and the September 2018 sentences of two intermediaries. The page shows no date. It does not give the court's reasons.Link working, checked 25 October 2026
S1Tier B Eni: unmotivated and disconcerting Nigeria judicial case endedEni S.p.A.. Company statement. 19 July 2022.Company account that the prosecutors' appeal was dropped and the acquittals became final. It is not the court order itself.Link working, checked 25 October 2026
S5Tier C Nigeria withdraws $1 billion claim against Eni on oil field dealWorld Oil (Bloomberg, Alberto Brambilla and William Clowes). Press report. 16 November 2023.Reports a Nigerian letter waiving civil claims in Italy against Eni. It does not cover Nigeria's London claim.Link working, checked 25 October 2026
S10Tier C UK dismisses Nigeria's $1 billion bribery lawsuit against Shell, EniWorld Oil (Bloomberg, Ellen Milligan). Press report. 22 May 2020.Reports that a London judge ruled England had no jurisdiction over Nigeria's claim against Shell and Eni, and that Nigeria would seek permission to appeal. It does not name the judge.Link working, checked 25 October 2026

Other claims about Eni S.p.A.

Contradicted82
The proposition that Eni and Shell were proven to have paid bribes to Nigerian politicians through the US$1.1 billion OPL 245 payment, as alleged by the Milan prosecutor and summarised by Global Witness in March 2021.
Press report, 17 March 20214 records citedBribery
Outdated64
Global Witness said in March 2021 that two middlemen had already been found guilty for their role in the OPL 245 deal in a separate trial.
Press report, 17 March 20212 records citedBribery
Supported79
Eni said in March 2021 that the allegations of international corruption in its Congo probe ceased to exist after the charge was reduced to undue inducement, and that its EUR 11.8 million deal was not an admission of guilt.
Company statement, 18 March 20214 records citedBribery