By Kolawole Ojebisi
Residents of Ogale community in the Eleme Local Government Area of Rivers State trooped out on Thursday to protest what they described as the “environmental degradation” caused by the operations of Shell Oil Services,
The protesters decried the untold suffering inflicted on the community by Shell Oil Services through its alleged wanton negligence.
The demonstration coincided with a court hearing in London, where a decade-old lawsuit against Shell over pollution in the Niger Delta is being heard.
In a post on X, Amnesty International confirmed that the UK High Court had begun hearing the case, which involves the Ogale and Bille communities.
“After a decade-long fight for justice, the Preliminary Issues Trial of Nigerian Law for Shell vs. Ogale and Bille communities is taking place at the UK High Court from today, 13 February to 10 March 2025,” the post read.
Carrying banners and chanting slogans, protesters demanded the restoration of their land, alleging that years of oil spills had destroyed their livelihoods—farming and fishing.
Speaking to journalists, the leader of the Ogoni People Assembly, Tom Williams, said, “We are demanding environmental justice and reparation. We say no to the ecological war in Ogale and urge the Federal Government and Shell to expedite the cleanup so that we can return to farming and fishing.”
A UNEP report on Ogoni had previously found that local water sources were contaminated with benzene due to repeated oil spills, forcing residents to abandon their traditional means of sustenance.
Environmental rights activist Celestine Nwosu praised the protesters for standing up to Shell, saying, “The people have had enough. They are demanding an end to this injustice.”
In solidarity with the protest, businesses and shops in Ogale temporarily shut down.
Protesters also called for compensation, improved healthcare for affected residents, and a complete remediation of their land.
The demonstration follows an oil spill two weeks ago, which Shell Nigeria attributed to an overflow from a saver pit during flushing operations.
Meanwhile, the lawsuit filed by 13,000 Nigerian farmers against Shell commenced in London on February 13 and is set to continue until March 9, 2025.
