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Protesters Demand Accountability from Shell in Nigerian Oil Spill Lawsuits

Demonstrators rallied outside London’s High Court on Thursday, calling for Shell to be held accountable for environmental devastation in Nigeria as critical hearings began for lawsuits targeting the British oil giant.

Thousands of individuals are pursuing legal action against Shell and its Nigerian subsidiary, the Shell Petroleum Development Company (SPDC), over extensive oil leaks in the Niger Delta—a region historically plagued by pollution, conflict, and corruption associated with the oil and gas sector.

Godwin Bebe Okpabi, a representative from the Ogale community in the Niger Delta, addressed the crowd outside the courthouse. He stated, “Shell, Royal Dutch Shell have polluted our land and destroyed our way of life. They deny us our fundamental rights to life and a clean environment, which is why we find ourselves in this legal battle.”

In Nigeria, local residents have taken action by barricading a Shell manifold site that experienced a recent spill, further emphasizing the community’s frustrations. Kagima Igwe-Benjamin, another leader from the Ogale community, expressed the dire situation: “Our crops are failing, we lack access to potable water, and the underground water sources are severely contaminated. Even newly dug boreholes fail to provide clean water for consumption in Ogale.”

For decades, oil spills have wreaked havoc on the environment, jeopardizing the livelihoods of millions within surrounding communities and adversely affecting their health. Despite this, Shell contends that most spills are the result of illegal activities like pipeline sabotage and theft.

Legal representatives for Shell conveyed in court submissions that SPDC acknowledges its obligation to compensate affected individuals, regardless of any fault attributed to the company.

However, Okpabi countered that Shell’s substantial profits from operations in Nigeria impose a moral obligation on the corporation to take proactive measures in preventing and addressing oil spills. “That money is blood money,” he asserted, calling attention to the human cost of exploitation.

This particular case has its roots going back nearly ten years, with the UK’s Supreme Court ruling in 2021 that it should proceed in the English courts. This lawsuit exemplifies the growing trend of multinational corporations facing legal repercussions in London for the actions of their international subsidiaries.

Source
finance.yahoo.com