Nigeria: High Court Trial Finds Shell Plc And Former Nigerian Subsidiary Can Be Held Legally Responsible For Legacy Oil Pollution In Nigeria

The High Court has ruled that Shell plc and its former Nigerian subsidiary can be held legally responsible for legacy, or historic, oil pollution which has devastated the environments of two communities in Nigeria. The judgement means that Shell, and its former Nigerian subsidiary, can be held liable for oil spills and leaks going back many years.

Years of chronic oil spills have left the Bille and Ogale communities, which have a combined population of 50,000, without clean water, unable to farm…