Over 11,000 Nigerians from Niger Delta file compensation claim against Shell in London High Court”

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Over 11,000 Nigerians from Niger Delta file compensation claim against Shell in London High Court"

More than 11,000 Nigerians from the oil-producing Delta have filed a compensation claim against Shell at the London High Court, testing the responsibility of multinationals for the actions of their overseas subsidiaries.

The UK ruled in 2021 that a group of 42,500 Nigerian farmers and fishermen could sue Shell in the English courts after oil spills contaminated their land and water.

UK law firm Leigh Day filed claims on Thursday on behalf of 11,317 people and 17 institutions, including churches and schools, from the Ogale community in Delta, for compensation for loss of livelihoods and damage.

The claims say that oil spills from Shell's operations have destroyed farms, contaminated drinking water, and harmed aquatic life.

“The next stage in the case is for a case management hearing to be set in Spring 2023, ahead of the full trial which is likely to occur the following year,” Leigh Day said in a statement.

A Shell spokesperson responded by saying that the majority of spills related to the Ogale and Bille claims were caused by illegal third-party interference, including pipeline sabotage, and that SPDC, its subsidiary, would continue cleaning affected areas.

“We believe litigation does little to address the real problem in the Niger Delta: oil spills due to crude oil theft, illegal refining, and sabotage, with which SPDC is constantly faced and which cause the most environmental damage,” the spokesperson added.

Oil spills, sometimes due to vandalism or corrosion, are a common occurrence in the Niger Delta, a vast area of creeks and mangrove swamps crisscrossed by pipelines and plagued by poverty, pollution, , and violence fueled by oil.

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