Shell’s Dirty Little Secret: Fake Clean-Ups, Corrupt Deals, and a Trail of Devastation

Shell’s Business Model: Pollute, Lie, Profit, Repeat:  The Real Question: Why Is Shell Still Allowed to Exist?

In a plot twist that surprises absolutely no one, a BBC investigation has exposed Shell for what it truly is—a ruthless, polluting oil giant that lies about cleaning up its mess while quietly slipping out the back door with billions in profit.

A Billion-Dollar ‘Clean-Up’ That Cleans Nothing

Let’s start with Shell’s so-called $1 billion oil clean-up in Nigeria—a project that was supposed to remedy the decades of environmental destruction Shell has inflicted on Ogoniland. But according to a whistleblower, the entire operation is a scam designed to fool the public while stuffing politicians’ pockets.

“It’s common knowledge that really what we’re doing is a scam. Most of it is to fool the Ogoni people,” the whistleblower told the BBC.

So what does this “clean-up” actually look like?

• Contracts awarded to unqualified companies (because, of course, competency is optional in corruption).
• Fake lab results that magically label contaminated water and soil as “clean.”
• Costs are inflated to absurd levels while external auditors are conveniently blocked from checking the work.

And Shell? Oh, they knew all about it. In a meeting with the British High Commissioner to Nigeria, Shell admitted to “institutional challenges” and acknowledged that their own funding might be refused in the future due to corruption. But did they stop funnelling money into this fraudulent scheme? Nope.

Shell’s Business Model: Pollute, Lie, Profit, Repeat

Meanwhile, Shell is desperately trying to abandon its Nigerian operations—not because it plans to fix the decades of damage it has caused, but because it wants to dump its onshore assets and focus on offshore drilling, where it’s harder for activists, journalists, and regulators to hold them accountable.

Shell has already offloaded its Nigerian subsidiary, SPDC, to Renaissance Africa, a deal that is as vague as it is shady. And let’s be real—Shell isn’t leaving because it suddenly cares about the environment. It’s leaving because it wants to wash its hands of responsibility while still profiting off the region’s oil.

As lawyer Joe Snape of Leigh Day put it:

“At least with Shell, we have means of holding them to account. It is unclear how Renaissance [Africa] will act going forward.”

Translation: Shell’s strategy is to disappear before anyone can legally pin them down.

Shell’s Favorite Excuse: “Not Our Fault!”

And how does Shell respond to allegations of pollution? Blame literally everyone else. According to them, spills are caused by “oil theft” and “illegal refining”—not their own poorly maintained infrastructure.

Never mind that the UN reported that 13 million barrels of crude oil have been spilt in the Niger Delta since 1958, or that Shell’s own infrastructure has failed time and time again. Nope, it’s always someone else’s fault.

Hakluyt: Shell’s Spy Network in Nigeria

Oh, and let’s not forget that Shell doesn’t just pollute—it also spies. Hakluyt, Shell’s very own private intelligence firm, has been deeply involved in Nigeria, working to monitor and undermine activists, journalists, and community leaders who dare to expose the truth.

Ken Saro-Wiwa, the activist executed in 1995 for leading protests against Shell’s pollution? Hakluyt was part of the intelligence machine focused on him. Greenpeace and other organizations speaking out? They were also on Shell’s watchlist using Hakluyt.

Because when Shell faces scrutiny, their response isn’t to fix the damage—it’s to go full espionage mode.

Shell’s Prelude FLNG Disaster: Another Spectacular Failure

And speaking of Shell’s world-class incompetence, let’s take a moment to remember Prelude FLNG, the floating LNG facility that was supposed to be a game-changer but instead became a laughably expensive, unreliable, and dangerous mess. Shut down multiple times by the Australian safety regulator, Prelude FLNG has proven to be yet another multi-billion-dollar failure, showing that Shell isn’t just bad at cleaning up its mess—it’s also bad at making things that actually work.

The Real Question: Why Is Shell Still Allowed to Exist?

Shell’s entire business model is built on pollution, corruption, lies, and corporate espionage, all while investors like BlackRock and Vanguard happily cash in on this destruction machine.

The people of Ogoniland have been poisoned for generations. The environment has been devastated beyond recognition. Shell has dodged responsibility at every turn, using PR spin, legal loopholes, and outright espionage to keep their profits flowing.

And now, as they attempt to exit Nigeria and dodge accountability once again quietly, the world is left asking: How many more communities have to suffer before Shell is finally stopped?

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