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January 31, 2013

Dutch Court Rules Shell Partially Liable for Nigeria Oil Spills 
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A court in the Netherlands has ruled the oil giant Shell is at least
partly responsible for environmental damage from oil leaks in the Niger
Delta. On Wednesday, a Dutch court ruled Shell must pay compensation to
a Nigerian farmer whose land was contaminated by oil pollution from
Shell's operations. The ruling was mixed however as the court also threw
out four other complaints. Despite the dismissals, Nigerian human rights
lawyer and activist Ebun Adegboruwa said the ruling establishes a
precedent to hold Shell accountable.

Ebun Adegboruwa: "I am glad that for the first time at least the
agitation of our people has been confirmed that Shell is not a friendly
organization 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."

 

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