Shell being sued in Two claims over Oil Spills in Nigeria

Oil giant Shell is being sued in London for the second time in five years over spills in the Niger Delta.

Two communities are claiming compensation and want Shell to clean up their land.

 

Shell said it is at an "early stage" in reviewing the claims and that the case should be heard in Nigeria.

The Ogale community of about 40,000 people in Rivers State, on the coast of Nigeria, who are mainly farmers or fishermen, are some of the claimants.

Their case is being handled by law firm Leigh Day.

Spills since 1989 have meant they don't have clean drinking water, farmland or rivers, their claim says.

It points to a November 2015 report by Amnesty International which says four spill sites Shell says it planned to clean up are still contaminated.

NNPC, Shell to promote clean operations in Nigeria

The Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation, NNPC, and Shell Petroleum Development Company of Nigeria, SPDC, have reiterated their commitment to promoting sustainable development in the area of their operations across the country.

Speaking at the 2015 SPDC Joint Venture External Relations Road show and Exhibition in Abuja, the Group Executive Director, Exploration & Production, NNPC, Dr. Maikanti Baru, emphasised the need for organisations to operate and deliver services in a manner that is efficient and effective, with minimal impact on the environment.

 

Baru, who was represented by the General Managing, Planning, Nigeria Petroleum Investment Management Services, NAPIMS, Mr. Dung Gwom-Bot, maintained that while businesses should strive to be socially equitable and economically viable, they should also focus on meeting the basic needs of the population and future generation.