Nigerian villages to take Shell to UK court over oil spills in 2027

Reuters

Two Nigerian communities will take Shell to trial in the UK in 2027 after winning a court ruling over Niger Delta oil pollution.

The Bille and Ogale communities, home to 50,000 people, accuse Shell and its former Nigerian subsidiary (now Renaissance Africa Energy) of years of oil pollution contaminating their land and water.

Their lawsuit, launched in 2015, seeks compensation and a full environmental clean-up. On Friday, Mrs Justice May ruled Shell can be sued for pipeline spills caused by sabotage and oil theft, and that claims remain valid as long as pollution persists.

The case is scheduled for trial in March 2027, with 85 spills identified so far.

Shell welcomed the ruling but argued that most spills were caused by unlawful acts beyond its control.

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