14,000 Nigerians Take on Shell in UK High Court Over Alleged Environmental Devastation and Loss of Livelihoods

Oil giant Shell is facing a class-action lawsuit in the UK High Court from nearly 14,000 individuals and institutions in Nigeria’s Ogale and Bille communities. The communities blame the firm for the loss of their livelihoods, with oil spills from Shell’s exploitation of the Niger Delta resulting in widespread pollution and deaths. The individuals and institutions are calling for Shell to clean up the pollution and compensate them for its effects. The news of the lawsuits came as Shell announced a record $42.3 billion profit for 2022. Cleaning the pollution in the Niger Delta would cost about $1 billion over five years. Shell first discovered oil in Nigeria in 1956, and 17.5 million liters of oil have spilled in the delta since then, according to Shell and Amnesty International. Nigerian communities have won legal victories against Shell in the past.