FOLLOWING a major oil spill that destroyed its environment in 2009, Bodo community in Gokana Local Government Area of Rivers State has dragged Shell Petroleum Development Company to a London Court.
This is the second time within three years that the community will take legal action against the oil firm over issues bordering on environmental degradation.
This is the second time within three years that the community will take legal action against the oil firm over issues bordering on environmental degradation.
The new law suit became necessary when the community’s counsel, Leigh Day and Company, a London-based legal firm, failed to reach an out-of- court settlement with Shell over the 2009 oil spill.
Former Secretary of Bodo Council of Chiefs and Elders, Chief Emman Pii, told newsmen on Tuesday that the decision to go back to court was due to Shell’s refusal to pay the sum of £500m they demanded as compensation as part of the out-of-court settlement.
Pii said, “We demanded for about £500m from Shell as compensation for the oil spill, which damaged our sources of livelihood. Our lawyer first demanded for £1bn on our behalf, but we asked him to come down to £500m. Our lawyer came back to tell us that Shell offered £7m.
“Since negotiation has failed, we are going back to court. Already, we have filed our documents through our lawyer at a London Court. We first agreed to settle out of court because we don’t know how long the matter will last in court.”
Pii, who is one of the leaders of Bodo community, said Shell had been trying to pay peanuts as compensation to the over 10,000 indigenes of the community.
He recalled that the oil spill in 2009 was due to equipment failure in Shell’s facilities located within the community.
Pii argued that considering the number of adult population in the community, the amount of money Shell wanted to pay was not enough.
“Shell wanted to pay us peanuts. The first amount offered to Bodo community as compensation was £1m and that was in 2012. We rejected it.
“So, we went back again to renegotiate. This time, they came and offered £7m and my community rejected it.
“We rejected the amount because we are over 10,000 adults in the community, according to the 2006 national population census. If you divide £7m among us, it will give you about N250,000 per person,” Pii added.
He maintained that the amount Shell offered to pay as compensation was unrealistic and would not cover individual and community claims.
Contacted, the Shell’s spokesman, Mr. Precious Okolobo, promised to call back to react to the matter but he did not.
