Shell, SNEPCO dragged to London court over refusal to pay about 4 Billion dollars compensation

Royal Dutch Shell Plc and its subsidiary, Shell Nigeria Exploration and Production Company, SNEPCO have been dragged to the TCC High Court of Justice in London by a non-governmental organization, Oil Spill Victims Vanguard, OSPIVV on behalf of the victims and communities.

OSPIVV through its Executive Director, Harrison Jalla, an environmental activist, filed the suit through his lawyers: Johnson & Steller Solicitors of Hanover Square Mayfair London on behalf of victims and communities affected by the Bonga Oil Field Spills of December 20, 2011.

The spill was allegedly caused by “equipment failure” in the Bonga Oil Field and purportedly discharged over 40,000 barrels of crude oil into the Atlantic Ocean.

Fresh Angle International learned that about 168,000 persons in over 350 communities, spreading across Bayelsa, Delta and Ondo states were negatively affected by the spill.

The lead claimant, Harrison Jalla who addressed select-newsmen at Effurun, Delta State, Saturday October 28, explained that the legal action became necessary because Shell and its subsidiary, SNEPCO has refused to pay the recommended compensation.

According to him, “the House of Representatives and National Oil Spill Detection and Response Agency, NOSDRA, levied SNEPCO the sum of three billion, six hundred million, one hundred and ninety one thousand, two hundred and six United States dollars ($3,600,191,206.00) be paid to the affected shoreline communities, victims and the federal government of Nigeria within 14 days in a letter dated the 19^th of December 2014 with reference number NOSDRA/DFA/131/VOL, V1/ 409”.

×