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NIGERIANS FILE OIL LAWSUIT AGAINST SHELL IN THE NETHERLANDS

THE HAGUE, THE NETHERLANDS—November 5, 2008 – Four Nigerian citizens,
Friends of the Earth Netherlands and Nigeria will file a unique lawsuit
against Anglo-Dutch oil giant Shell in The Hague on Friday 7 November.

For the first time in history Shell’s international headquarters will
have to appear in court to respond to charges of causing environmental
damage abroad. The Nigerian plaintiffs, fishermen and farmers from the
oil-rich Niger Delta area, suffered from the effects of oil spills
related to Shell oil operations.
On November 7, their Dutch lawyer will serve a summons on Shell,
accusing it of negligence. New investigation shows that the villages of
the Nigerian plaintiffs have been heavily polluted and that Shell has
not adhered to international standards for ‘good oil field practice’ in
Nigeria. Two of the Nigerian plaintiffs are in the Netherlands November
3-7, 2008.
The lawyer of the plaintiffs, Liesbeth Zegveld from the office of Böhler
Franke Koppe Wijngaarden in Amsterdam, asked Shell headquarters in May
this year to clarify its role in oil spills in Nigeria. Shell´s reaction
to this enquiry was unsatisfactory; its headquarters passed all
juridical responsibility on to Nigeria.
Liesbeth Zegveld said: “Shell headquarters believes it is untouchable,
but we believe it is legally responsible for damage caused in Nigeria.
Shell headquarters has the authority and control to ensure that its oil
spills in Nigeria are prevented and cleaned up. We accuse Shell of
negligence.”
Two Nigerian professors recently investigated the soil in the villages
of the Nigerian plaintiffs, Ikot Ada Udo, Oruma and Goi. From their
investigations it appears that – respectively 10, 24 and 33 months after
the oil spills - soil and water could not be used for agriculture or
fishing because it still contained too much oil. Investigations by
American professor and oil spills expert Rick Steiner show that Shell
did not meet international standards for ‘good oil field practice’ in
Nigeria.
Anne van Schaik, campaign leader of Milieudefensie / Friends of the
Earth Netherlands said: “Here Shell would never treat people and the
environment in the way it does in Nigeria. We hope that the Dutch judge
will decide that Shell must clean up the pollution and that the victims
must be compensated properly.”
Nnimmo Bassey, director of Environmental Rights Action / Friends of the
Earth Nigeria said: “Shell hardly notices Nigerian court orders. We want
a Dutch court to ensure that justice is done against Royal Dutch Shell.”
Shell’s oil production in Nigeria causes on average five oil spills per
week, in an area that is smaller than the Netherlands. Every spill
releases on average 16 thousand litres of crude oil into the environment.
According to Shell a third of the spills in Nigeria are caused by human
mistakes and inadequate maintenance of the oil installations, and two
thirds are caused by sabotage. All spills from Shell operations in
Nigeria have to be cleaned up by Shell.

FOR MORE INFORMATION CONTACT:
Milieudefensie / Friends of the Earth Netherlands Press Office in
Amsterdam, The Netherlands:
Tel: + 31-20 5507 333 or +31-6 2959 3873 or email
persvoorlichting@milieudefensie.nl
MORE INFORMATION including the new investigation:
http://www.milieudefensie.nl/shell and click on the ‘English’ button.