Joy at Nigeria oil deaths pay-out

Lawyers for relatives of nine anti-oil campaigners hanged in Nigeria in 1995 say they are thrilled that Royal Dutch Shell has agreed to pay compensation.

The oil giant had been facing charges in the US of complicity in abuses under Nigeria’s then military rulers.

Shell denies any wrongdoing but said it welcomed the $15.5m (
Ledum Mitee, president of the Movement for the Survival of the Ogoni People (Mosop) said the settlement was not enough and more was needed to address the injustices.

“If you remember that about 2,000 Ogonis lost their lives in those days of the military repression, and the environment was severely damaged, then you’ll know that $15.5m is quite insignificant for that,” he told the BBC’s Focus on Africa programme.

Mosop spokesman Bariara Kpalap added that Shell has to “change its attitude towards the people”.

“Shell should treat us as civilised human beings and not those to be exploited because of our oil,” he said.

BBC