Rivers communities seek justice as London court hears environmental case

The people of Ogale Community in Eleme local government area of Rivers State and Bille community on Thursday staged a massive protest, calling on the international court to grant their prayers for justice against Shell Petroleum Development Company (SPDC) over the devastation of their environment. The protesters, including elderly people, women, and youths, asked the international court to hold Shell accountable for the destruction of their environment and the loss of livelihoods.

The protest, aimed at drawing the attention of the international community to the deplorable plight of the oil-bearing communities, was ongoing in Eleme, Rivers State, while a United Kingdom High Court commenced hearing of a $10 billion suit instituted by Ogale and Bille communities of Rivers State against the oil giants in the UK. The community is asking the international court to compel Shell to pay them compensation and remediate their environment. The protesters, all clad in black, carried placards and banners with inscriptions such as “Shell has poisoned our groundwater,” “Declare state of emergency on the environment of Ogale,” “Shell is killing us with their operations,” and “Justice for Ogale, end the scourge of oil spills,” amongst others. During the protest, women were seen crying as they sat on the bare floor.

Addressing journalists during the protest, environmental rights activist Celestine AkpoBari said the community has continued to suffer from years of Shell’s operations. He said: “Ogale people are gathered here because today a hearing in a case instituted by 13,000 farmers in London is starting today and will run until March 10, 2023. The Ogale people are here in solidarity with their king, who is already in London. Human rights groups in the UK are also holding the same solidarity march in London. They are here to say enough is enough, that they have suffered so much, and that justice should be served. “As you are aware, on January 2, 2025, there was a major spill from this manifold belonging to Shell. Incidentally, it is the first time they are accepting that the fault was their own because they were flushing the oil from the sever pit, and that overflow took over the whole community. Till today, people have not recovered from the effects. Ogale people are saying enough is enough. They are demanding that Shell should pay adequate compensation for the loss of livelihoods, for damages caused by the spillages. Benzene, a cancer-causing substance, is in their water. The people are suffering from various health challenges because of the polluted environment.”

Youth President of Ogale Community, Noble Worlu, also stated: “We have suffered enough in the hands of Shell, that’s why you can see the mammoth crowd here today. Nobody went to farm, nobody went to the market, all shops are closed, everybody in the community is here today as a sign of solidarity to speak to the whole world that Ogale people have suffered a lot, we are dying of strange illnesses, and we are suffering spills on a monthly basis. The last spill was just last week in this same facility where we are standing. We are suffering from different kinds of illnesses we don’t know. When will the spillage stop, when will Ogale people get justice, and when will Ogale people get clean water to drink because Shell has contaminated our groundwater? “Our demand is that compensation should be paid to Ogale people. There should be an adequate health audit for Ogale people to ascertain the level of damage done to our system and how medical treatment can be enforced. They should give us clean water.”

Johnson Ngochindu, Secretary and Legal Adviser of Ogale Community Council of Chiefs and Elders, who spoke on behalf of the community, said: “We are here to express our dissatisfaction, anger, and displeasure over the activities of Shell. We have been so devastated, we have been so short-changed, we have been so maligned by Shell. We are a peaceful community, we are a people who are so blessed with natural resources, but it has turned into a curse in our land. And because we see that we cannot achieve justice in Nigeria, no court in Nigeria can give us justice, that is why we headed for the UK. “We are asking that the court in London should give us justice. We are short of trust in the Nigerian government because they are collaborators. Shell and the Nigerian government are collaborating to short-change the oil-bearing communities, and that is why we are seeking help from the international court. The men, women, and youths are dying in their numbers from environmental pollution.”

Furthermore, Monday Amadi, CDC Chairman of Ogale, called on the international court to compel Shell to restore the Ogale land, saying, “We are begging the people of London to give us a favourable judgment because we have suffered enough in the hands of Shell and Shell doesn’t regard us as humans. We are farmers; if you look at our palm fruits, if you look at our economic trees, the aquatic nature of our rivers, you cannot see anything. All the fish in our rivers are dead. Today, we don’t have bush animals in our bushes anymore because of the pollution in the land. We are calling on Shell to return our land to the original position that our land was.” On her part, the female ruler of Ekpangbala sub-community under Ogale, Mrs. Igwe Benjamin Ngajima, said oil spills have impacted women. She said, “You cannot get a bag of cassava from an acre of land in this community. Our cowpeas are not growing, cocoyams are not growing, all our crops are not growing well and do not grow well anymore. Their years of pollution have caused us strange sicknesses. Look at the whole crowd here—if you can see up to two pregnant women. Our women are suffering from infertility. Shell should come and remediate our environment, pay us adequate compensation, or they should leave this land for us,” she stated.

Source: https://guardian.ng/news/rivers-communities-seek-justice-as-london-court-hears-environmental-case/

Date: 15Feb25