Shell told to pay Niger Delta’s Ijaw people $1.5B in compensation

LONDON (MarketWatch) — A Nigerian court has ordered oil multinational Royal Dutch Shell PLC (RDSB.LN) to pay $1.5 billion to the Ijaw people of the Niger Delta region, the BBC reports on its Web site Friday.

The Ijaw have been fighting since 2000 for compensation for environmental degradation in the oil-rich region. They took the case to court after Shell refused to make the payment ordered by Nigeria’s parliament.

Ijaw militants have staged a spate of attacks against Shell facilities recently and are holding foreign oil workers hostage.

Shell intends to appeal against the judgment.

MarketWatch