Shell on Trial: The Oil Giant That Poisoned Nigeria

Shell on Trial: The Oil Giant That Poisoned Nigeria and Cashed In

Because Who Needs Ethics When You Have Billions?

Once again, Shell—the ultimate sin stock, planetary arsonist, and poster child for corporate greed—finds itself in a UK courtroom, forced to answer for decades of devastation, pollution, and suffering in Nigeria.

On Thursday, as thousands of people sued Shell and its Nigerian subsidiary, SPDC, over catastrophic oil spills in the Niger Delta, protesters gathered outside London’s High Court to remind the world that Shell’s business model is built on ruining lives, destroying ecosystems, and dodging accountability.

Shell’s Toxic Legacy: “They Destroyed Our Way of Life”

Godwin Bebe Okpabi, leader of the Ogale community, put it plainly outside the court:

“Shell, Royal Dutch Shell have polluted our land, destroyed our way of life, and the two basic rights that we are supposed to have—rights to life, and rights to a clean environment—they are saying we don’t have it. And that’s why we are here in the courts.”

Meanwhile, back in Nigeria, hundreds of locals took matters into their own hands, barricading a Shell manifold after yet another oil spill overflowed from a so-called “saver pit” (read: a disaster Shell didn’t bother to prevent).

Kagima Igwe-Benjamin, another community leader, spelled out the horror:

“Our crops are not coming out, we don’t have drinking water. The underground water is seriously affected. Even when you dig a borehole, you cannot get good water to drink.”

This isn’t one-off pollution—this is systemic, industrial-scale environmental annihilation, funded by Shell’s biggest investors, including BlackRock and Vanguard, who are too busy counting their dividends to care about poisoned communities.

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

And what does Shell have to say? The same tired corporate nonsense they’ve been spewing for years:

• “Most spills are caused by illegal third-party interference, pipeline sabotage, and theft.”
• “We’re not at fault, but we’ll compensate those affected anyway.”

Translation? We’ve made billions sucking Nigeria dry, but when things go wrong, we blame “bad actors” and pretend we’re the victims.

Meanwhile, the reality on the ground is horrifying:

• Decades of oil spills have turned farmlands into dead zones.
• Fishing communities have been wiped out as waters are choked with crude.
• People are drinking, cooking, and washing with toxic, oil-contaminated water.
• Serious health issues—from respiratory diseases to cancer—are rampant.

As Okpabi rightfully put it:

“That money is blood money.”

Shell’s Long-Overdue Reckoning

Parts of this case date back nearly a decade, and in 2021, the UK Supreme Court ruled that it must be heard in English courts. Shell has fought tooth and nail to avoid accountability, but this lawsuit is part of a growing trend—multinationals finally being sued in London for the crimes of their overseas subsidiaries.

And let’s not forget—Shell isn’t just a passive observer in Nigeria. This is a company that has:

• Relied on shadowy corporate spies like Hakluyt to track, intimidate, and undermine activists.
• Been complicit in the repression of environmental leaders, including the late Ken Saro-Wiwa, who was executed after exposing Shell’s crimes.
• Deliberately delayed cleanups while making billions from Nigeria’s resources.

The Verdict? Shell’s Reputation Is a Toxic Waste Dump

Shell wants out of Nigeria, not because it wants to stop polluting, but because it wants to cash out before the legal bills pile up. But the people of the Niger Delta aren’t letting them walk away without a fight.

For decades, Shell has treated Nigeria as a disposable profit center, poisoning entire communities while raking in obscene wealth. Now, finally, they are being forced to answer for it in court.

The question isn’t whether Shell is guilty—the evidence speaks for itself. The real question is whether the courts will actually hold them accountable, or if Shell’s billions will buy them another round of excuses.

Either way, the world is watching.

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