Bonga oil spill victims drag Shell to U.K court, demand $3.6bn compensation

A $3.600,191,206 billion lawsuit has been slammed against Shell Nigeria Exploration and Production Company (SNEPCO), a subsidiary of the Royal-Dutch Shell Plc., in the United Kingdom by victims of Bonga Oil Field spills of December 20, 2011.

The victims under the aegis of Oil Spill Victims Vanguard (OSPIVV) in the suit are demanding $3,600,191,206 as compensation to 168,000 persons and 350 communities who were affected by the oil spill.

This was disclosed in a statement the group’s executive director, Harrison Jalla, made available to newsmen, in which he said that the move became necessary in order to have an accelerated hearing and justice in the matter.

He said, “We have filed a pre-action notice on September 21, 2017, in the TCC High Court of Justice in London through our lawyers, Johnson & Steller Solicitors of Handover Square, Mayfair on behalf of the victims and communities affected by the Bonga Oil Field spills of December 20, 2011 when Shell Nigeria Exploration and Product Company (SNEPCO), due to equipment failure in their Bonga Oil Field, discharged over 10, 000 barrels of crude oil into the Atlantic Ocean which negatively affected over 168,000 persons in over 350 coastal communities in Nigeria.”

According to Jalla, the December 2011 pollution covered a distance of 185 kilometres along the coastline and forced fishermen to desert the sea, farmlands, vegetation and the environment in Ekeremo, Southern Ijaw and Brass local councils of Bayelsa State as well as Warri South-West, Warri North and Burutu council areas of Delta State and some riverine areas in Ondo State.

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He added, “After due process, the House of Representatives and the National Oil Spill Detection and Response Agency (NOSDRA) fined SNEPCO the sum of three billion, six hundred million, one hundred and ninety one thousand, two hundred and six United States dollars to be paid to the affected shoreline communities, victims and the Federal Government of Nigeria within 14 days in a letter dated December 19, 2014, with reference number, NOSDRA/DFA/131/VOLU/409.”

Jalla, who lamented that SNEPCO had continued to refuse to pay the compensation, accused the oil company of inflicting pains on the affected communities, adding that he was hopeful the UK court would bring justice in the case.

 

 

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