Nigerian communities from the oil-rich Niger Delta initiated court action on Wednesday in London against the energy giant Royal Dutch Shell, in a case that may have far-reaching implications for whether companies can be sued in Britain for pollution and damages caused by their activities in other countries.
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He also said that it is disgraceful that Shell has to be dragged to the courts to address the issues.
Law firm Leigh Day is representing them following a landmark ruling a year ago that won an unprecedented 83.5 million U.S. dollars (£60 million) in damages from Shell.
Shell on their part said the case was at an “early stage”, they were assessing the claims and wanted the case to be heard in Nigeria. Shell originally offered a settlement of $50,000.
Moreso, it claimed that the volume of oil spilled in the region was 4,000 barrels, but evidence proved that the actual volume was closer to 500,000 barrels.
The firm’s local subsidiary, Shell Petroleum Development Company of Nigeria Limited, or SPDC, has been plagued by frequent spills that environmental groups and nongovernmental organizations say have destroyed Niger Delta fishing grounds and polluted water systems.
The remaining amount would be left for the community, which Leigh Day said was devastated by the two massive oil spills in 2008 and 2009.
Amnesty International said in November 2015 report that an investigation showed Shell had failed to clear four oil-spill sites in the Niger delta, months after President Muhammadu Buhari said he’s accelerating a clean-up of the area.
A 2011 report by the United Nations Environment Programme found that decades of oil pollution in Ogoniland region, where Ogale is located, may require the world’s biggest ever clean-up.
Amnesty International’s UK Economic Affairs Program Director Peter Frankental said, “Shell has an appalling record of obfuscation and misinformation with regard to its dealings in the Niger Delta”.
The company also said pipelines in the area have been targets for thieves who steal crude oil and try to refine it locally. In the Netherlands, a Dutch appeals court ruled in December that four Nigerian farmers and Friends of the Earth Netherlands could sue Shell there in relation to separate oil spills.
Bille and Ogale communities, whose livelihoods are mainly fishing and farming, want compensation for environmental damages to the region.
Since 1993, Shell has halted its operations in Ogoniland.
Leigh Day said Shell had failed to act on the report despite its promises.
“Both Bille and Ogale are areas heavily impacted by crude oil theft, pipeline sabotage and illegal refining which remain the main sources of pollution across the Niger Delta”, Shell said.
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The Nigerian joint venture is 55 percent owned by the Nigerian National Petroleum Co., with Shell holding a 30 percent stake.
