NIGERIA: Lawyer and activist Ebun Adegboruwa welcomes a ruling by a Dutch court saying Royal Dutch Shell's Nigerian subsidiary is responsible for oil pollution in the Niger Delta

Record ID: 235940

  • Title: NIGERIA: Lawyer and activist Ebun Adegboruwa welcomes a ruling by a Dutch court saying Royal Dutch Shell's Nigerian subsidiary is responsible for oil pollution in the Niger Delta
  • Date: 30th January 2013
  • Summary: LAGOS, NIGERIA (JANUARY 30, 2013) (REUTERS) LAWYER AND ACTIVIST EBUN ADEGBORUWA IN OFFICE ADEGBORUWA TYPING ON MOBILE PHONE MOBILE PHONE (SOUNDBITE) (English) LAWYER AND ACTIVIST, EBUN ADEGBORUWA, SAYING: "I am glad that for the first time at least the agitation of our people has been confirmed that Shell is not a friendly organisation and that it needed to be held accountable by its own people for the crimes committed against the people of Nigeria, so it's quite commendable." REMOTE CONTROL (SOUNDBITE) (English) LAWYER AND ACTIVIST, EBUN ADEGBORUWA, SAYING: "The judgement is an indictment on the authorities of the Nigerian government, particularly those who are responsible for granting mining and oil licences to oil companies and their foreign collaborators, as a precondition for exploration of oil, it should have been the responsibility of the oil company to cater for the environment, to ensure that best practices are employed as its been done worldwide." COMPACT DISC PACK PHONE (SOUNDBITE) (English) LAWYER AND ACTIVIST, EBUN ADEGBORUWA, SAYING: "Farmers, non farmers, host communities who are daily been subjected to the eclipse of fauna and environment have the opportunity now to challenge Shell, not only in Hague, but even in Nigeria because now the Nigerian courts will have the courage, if it could be done in a foreign land, there is no reason why our judges should be afraid to do it in our own land." BOOKS ON A TABLE
  • Embargoed: 14th February 2013 12:00
  • Keywords:
  • Location: Nigeria
  • Country: Nigeria
  • Topics: Crime,Business
  • Reuters ID: LVA4K8NQORRVSMN36WGOBETK4OZK
  • Story Text: Human rights lawyer and activist Ebun Adegboruwa said on Wednesday (January 30) he hoped a Dutch court ruling that Royal Dutch Shell's Nigerian subsidiary was responsible for oil pollution in the Niger Delta would open the door to further litigation.
    The court ruled that the company should have done more to prevent sabotage at one of its facilities.
    The district court in The Hague said Shell Petroleum Development Company of Nigeria Ltd. (SPDC), a wholly-owned subsidiary, must compensate one farmer. The court dismissed four other claims filed against the Dutch parent company.
    Adegboruwa welcomed the ruling: "I am glad that for the first time at least the agitation of our people has been confirmed that Shell is not a friendly organisation and that it needed to be held accountable by its own people for the crimes committed against the people of Nigeria, so it's quite commendable."
    He said the ruling should change the way the Nigerian government grants mining and oil licences.

    "The judgement is an indictment on the authorities of the Nigerian government, particularly those who are responsible for granting mining and oil licences to oil companies and their foreign collaborators, as a precondition for exploration of oil, it should have been the responsibility of the oil company to cater for the environment, to ensure that best practices are employed as its been done worldwide," Adegboruwa said.
    Four Nigerians and campaign group Friends of the Earth filed suits in 2008 in The Hague, where Shell has its global headquarters, seeking reparations for lost income from contaminated land and waterways in the Niger Delta region, the heart of the Nigerian oil industry.
    The case was seen by environmental activists as a test for holding multinationals responsible for offences at foreign subsidiaries, and legal experts said other Nigerians affected by pollution might now be able to sue in the Netherlands.
    Adegboruwa said Shell should also be challenged in front of Nigerian courts.

    "Farmers, non farmers, host communities who are daily been subjected to the eclipse of their fauna and environment have the opportunity now to challenge Shell, not only in Hague, but even in Nigeria because now the Nigerian courts will have the courage, if it could be done in a foreign land, there is no reason why our judges should be afraid to do it in our own land," Adegboruwa also said.
    Reacting to the ruling, Shell said the case would not set a precedent because its parent company was not held responsible.
    The court backed Shell's argument that the spills were caused by sabotage and not poor maintenance of its facilities, as had been argued by the Nigerians.
    There were 198 oil spills at Shell facilities in the Niger Delta last year, releasing around 26,000 barrels of oil, according to data from the company. The firm says 161 of these spills were caused by sabotage or theft, while 37 incidents were caused by operational failure. Local communities say Shell under reports the amount of barrels spilled.
    People who live in the Niger Delta say their land, water and fisheries have been blighted for years by oil pollution and activists have called for oil companies in Nigeria to be held to the same standard as elsewhere in the world.
  • Copyright Holder: REUTERS
  • Copyright Notice: (c) Copyright Thomson Reuters 2013. Open For Restrictions - http://about.reuters.com/fulllegal.asp
  • Usage Terms/Restrictions: None
Register