NETHERLANDS/NIGERIA: Four Nigerian citizens and Friends of Earth have filed a courtcase against Shell for oil spills

Record ID: 234614

  • Title: NETHERLANDS/NIGERIA: Four Nigerian citizens and Friends of Earth have filed a courtcase against Shell for oil spills
  • Date: 8th November 2008
  • Summary: (AD1) AMSTERDAM, THE NETHERLANDS (NOVEMBER 7, 2008) (REUTERS) MAP OF THE NIGERIAN DELTA WITH OIL SPILLS PAINTED YELLOW ALALI EFANGA, NIGERIAN FISHERMAN WHO IS SUING SHELL, ONE OF THE FOUR PLAINTIFFS, SHOWING THE MAP FINGER OF ALALI EFANGA ON THE MAP OF THE DELTA (SOUNDBITE) (English) ALALI EFANGA, NIGERIAN FISHERMAN AND ONE OF THE FOUR PLAINTIFFS, SAYING: "I live in Nigeria, precisely in the Oruma community where the spill occurred. That is where I live. And the damage is giving us adverse, negative effects, leading us to different sicknesses, shortage of food, there are no more fishes, drinking water is already polluted. For now we don't have any source of drinking water, no food, no fish, so we are living from mouth to mouth, that's what's happening in Oruma right now." ALALI HOLDING A TRAY WITH THE SHELL CAN FROM WHICH OIL IS SPILLED TO THE TRAY (SOUNDBITE) (English) ANNE VAN SCHAIK, FRIENDS OF THE EARTH NETHERLANDS, SAYING: "We are filing a lawsuit against Shell because of the oil pollution in three villages in Nigeria. After, sometimes several years, the area is still polluted, meaning that people can no longer use their fish ponds or use the ground for agricultural activities and so we ask Shell for compensation and the cleanup of the area."
  • Embargoed: 23rd November 2008 12:00
  • Keywords:
  • Topics: Legal System
  • Reuters ID: LVA3TN1D8NDWCZ4GMNGEO8GMVO4I
  • Story Text: Environmental group "Friends of the Earth Netherlands" and four Nigerians are expected to file a lawsuit suing Anglo-Dutch oil giant Royal Dutch Shell in a Dutch court on charges of negligence related to oil spills in Nigeria.
    Environment group Friends of the Earth Netherlands and four Nigerians filed a lawsuit on Friday (November 7), suing Anglo-Dutch oil giant Royal Dutch Shell in a Dutch court on charges of negligence related to oil spills in Nigeria.
    Environmentalists have taken samples from the ground and water in three Nigerian villages where oil spills have occurred since 2004 (village of Goi, spill occurred in 2004; village of Ikot Ada Udo in 2007; and in Oruma in February 2008), and both ground and water are still polluted.
    Local fisherman Alali Efanga is one of the four plaintiffs to join the lawsuit against Shell, as his 20 fish ponds inherited from his father have no fish anymore.

    "I live in Nigeria, precisely in the Oruma community where the spill occurred. That is where I live. And the damage is giving us adverse, negative effects, leading us to different sicknesses, shortage of food, there are no more fishes, drinking water is already polluted. For now we don't have any source of drinking water, no food, no fish, so we are living from mouth to mouth, that's what's happening in Oruma right now," Efanga told Reuters.
    Anne van Schaik of Friends of the Earth said Shell had the authority and the control to ensure oil spills are prevented and are cleaned up, but haven't done anything no make it happen.

    "We are filing a lawsuit against Shell because of the oil pollution in three villages in Nigeria. After, sometimes several years, the area is still polluted, meaning that people can no longer use their fish ponds or use the ground for agricultural activities and so we ask Shell for compensation and the cleanup of the area," she said.

    "We have samples taken of the area and have them analysed and in all three villages both the ground and the water is still polluted," van Schaik added.
    Shell declined to comment on the issue, saying the company had not received any summons.
    This is the first time in history that a Dutch company is being held accountable in a Dutch court for its actions outside the Netherlands.
  • Copyright Holder: REUTERS
  • Copyright Notice: (c) Copyright Thomson Reuters 2011. Open For Restrictions - http://about.reuters.com/fulllegal.asp
  • Usage Terms/Restrictions: None
Register