While insisting that the attackers are known, Nsuke charged the government to end the attacks on Ogoni by asking Shell and the Nigerian industry as well as those who organized the Saakpenwa meeting of June 22, 2019, to halt the crazy push for oil resumption in Ogoni…

Printed below in italics is a press statement issued by one of the two competing organisations, both calling themselves MOSOP. The statement is from the MOSOP led by Fegalo Nsuke which is indisputably active, while the MOSOP led by Legborsi Saro Pyagbara (Wikipedia article) has an online presence, but otherwise appears to be dormant?

MOSOP kingdom coordinators and affiliate heads held at the organization’s headquarters in Bori, Ogoniland

PRESS STATEMENT

Oil Resumption Campaigners Behind Gangsters in Ogoni Says MOSOP

The Movement for the Survival of the Ogoni People (MOSOP) has accused the campaigners for forceful oil resumption in Ogoni of patronizing criminal gangs that are currently terrorizing the Ogoni area. President of MOSOP, Fegalo Nsuke, made the declaration on Saturday, August 17, 2019 at a meeting with MOSOP kingdom coordinators and affiliate heads held at the organization’s headquarters in Bori, Ogoniland. read more

The people who some would say have sold their souls to a toxic oil company with an evil history. Back Row: Catherine J. Hughes, Sir Nigel Sheinwald GCMG, Euleen Goh, Gerrit Zalm, Linda G. Stuntz, Roberto Setubal, Ann Godbehere. Front Row: Jessica Uhl (CFO), Ben van Beurden (CEO), Charles O. Holliday (Chair), Tjalling Wiersma, and Gerard Kleisterlee

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The information in italics comes from a Daily Mail article published on 12 August 2019.

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Printed below is a press statement issued by one of the two competing organisations, both calling themselves MOSOP. The statement is from the MOSOP led by Fegalo Nsuke which is indisputably active, while the MOSOP led by Legborsi Saro Pyagbara (Wikipedia article) has an online presence, but otherwise appears to be dormant?

PRESS STATEMENT

• Says government should respect Ogoni rights
  
• Calls for the Release of the detained reporter, Omoleye Sowore

The Movement for the Survival of the Ogoni People (MOSOP) says the struggle of the Ogoni people in Nigeria is for human rights and justice. A resolution of the MOSOP Central Committee, also known as the Steering Committee which serves as the highest decision making organ of the organization, called on the Nigerian government and people to respect the political rights of the Ogoni people to self-determination.

The Steering Committee which held at the MOSOP secretariat in Bori, traditional headquarters of the Ogoni people today, August 3, 2019, strongly rejected calls by agents of Shell for oil resumption in Ogoniland noting that the Ogoni environment cannot support oil mining at this time.

The Steering Committee resolved that oil resumption will lead to the death of the Ogoni people and therefore remain unacceptable to the people.

The Steering Committee expressed the desire of the Ogoni people to enter into dialogue with all parties to resolve all contentious issues which led to the exit of Shell from Ogoniland over 20years ago.

Addressing newsman shortly after the meeting, President of MOSOP, Fegalo Nsuke said the Ogoni people are deeply committed to a peaceful and prosperous Nigeria where citizens rights are protected and all ethnic groups are treated equally.

Nsuke said “given our peculiar circumstances especially the Shell-backed state repression which led to the death of over 4,000 Ogonis, oil resumption will be resisted by the Ogoni people and  government response will be the usual deployment of soldiers who will shoot and kill the Ogoni people” He said to avoid further deaths, the Ogoni people have resolved not to support the resumption of oil mining in the land at this time”

Nsuke also said it was unjust that the resources of the Ogoni people be carted away to build the rest of Nigeria leaving the Ogoni people in the most terrible conditions.

The MOSOP president asserted that the easy way out of the problem is for the Nigerian government and people to respect the Ogoni people, treat them fairly by respecting their political rights to self-determination as demanded in the Ogoni Bill of Rights.

The MOSOP Steering Committee also condemned the arrest and detention of the publisher of Sahara Reporters, Omoyele Sowore. Describing the arrest of Sowore as an attempt to intimidate citizens from expressing their likes and dislikes, president of MOSOP, Fegalo Nsuke said citizens should enjoy the rights to peaceful expression including peaceful protests.

While calling for the unconditional release of Sowore, Nsuke noted that the “revolution protests” proposed by Sowore does not represent a threat to society but simply gives the government the opportunity to consider other views on what it does.

Signed:

Dcn Monday Neeka Ziinu

General Secretary, MOSOP

Headquarters: Peace and Freedom Center, Bori Ogoni

Email: [email protected], [email protected]
Website: www.mosop.org.ng

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/mosoponline

Disclaimer

The views, information, allegations or opinions expressed above are those of the author/originator of the article. They have not been substantiated by the publisher of this website and may not represent the publisher’s views. read more

Appeal on Shell Pollution in Nigeria case to be heard by UK Supreme Court

Herbert Smith Freehills LLP: 2 August 2019

In a sign of the extent to which class actions have become part of the mainstream of English litigation, the Supreme Court has recently given permission to appeal in three cases brought by or on behalf of large groups of claimants in three completely different contexts.

The third appeal is in litigation brought by large groups of individuals against UK-based Royal Dutch Shell and its Nigerian subsidiary relating to alleged pollution from pipelines and associated infrastructure in Nigeria. In February 2018, the Court of Appeal held, by a majority, that the English court did not have jurisdiction to hear the claims, as the claimants could not demonstrate a properly arguable case that Royal Dutch Shell owed a duty of care to those affected – see Okpabi and others v Royal Dutch Shell Plc and Shell Petroleum Development Company of Nigeria Ltd [2018] EWCA Civ 191, considered in this post on our Litigation Notes blog. read more

The Times: Supreme Court to hear Nigerian villagers’ battle with Shell

July 25, 2019

Residents of the Bille and Ogale areas of the Niger Delta are to take their battle with Shell over alleged pollution to the UK’s top court. Lawyers representing the two Nigerian communities confirmed yesterday that they had been granted leave to take the challenge to the Supreme Court. They argue the case should be heard in the English court because the oil company is headquartered in London and is legally responsible for the environmental failures of its subsidiary, the Shell Petroleum Development Company of Nigeria. Daniel Leader, a partner at Leigh Day, the London law firm that represents the Nigerians, said: “The era of corporate impunity is drawing to a close. FULL ARTICLE (Paywall) read more

According to Shell’s records, the community has been impacted by at least 40 oil spills from Shell’s pipelines and equipment since 1989, including 23 spills in the past 4 years. Shell’s pipelines and infrastructure in Ogale are several decades old and in a poor state of repair making the area vulnerable to oil spills which have caused, and continue to cause, long-term contamination of the land, swamps, groundwater and waterways in the Community.

The Supreme Court hearing will appeal a judgment from February 2018, from the Court of Appeal in London, which upheld an earlier High Court judgment, that the English Court does not have jurisdiction over the claims.

Lawyers representing 40,000 Nigerian farmers and fisherman from two communities in the Niger Delta have been permitted to take their legal claim against the oil giant Shell to the UK Supreme Court.

The decision will allow the two communities from Bille and Ogale in the Niger Delta to appeal to the UK’s highest court, having suffered from decades of pollution from Shell’s pipelines.

They have taken their case to the English Courts on the basis that Royal Dutch Shell (RDS), which is headquartered in London, is legally responsible for the environmental failures of the Shell Petroleum Development Company of Nigeria (SPDC), a subsidiary of RDS. read more

The decision to hear the appeal re-opens the possibility for British multinationals to be held liable at home for their subsidiaries’ actions abroad.

JULY 24, 2019

ABUJA, July 24 (Reuters) – The Supreme Court in London will hear an appeal by Nigerian farmers and fishermen to pursue claims in England against oil major Shell over oil spills in the Niger Delta, lawyers for the two affected communities said on Wednesday.

The decision to hear the appeal re-opens the possibility for British multinationals to be held liable at home for their subsidiaries’ actions abroad. It comes after a setback in February last year when a London court ruled that the claim could not be pursued in England. read more

Printed below in italics is a press statement issued by one of the two competing organisations, both calling themselves MOSOP. The statement is from the MOSOP led by Fegalo Nsuke which is indisputably active, while the MOSOP led by Legborsi Saro Pyagbara (Wikipedia article) has an online presence, but otherwise appears to be dormant?

PRESS STATEMENT

The Movement for the Survival of the Ogoni People (MOSOP) has cautioned against a possible crackdown on the Ogoni people to kill them in order to force oil resumption in the land.

President of MOSOP, Fegalo Nsuke, raised the alarm while addressing newsmen in Abuja on Friday. Nsuke said the plot is being hatched by allies of Shell who have disguised as Ogoni leaders and championing the campaign for oil resumption.

“Oil resumption will kill our people and we do not want it” Nsuke said.

He explained that government orientation to force oil production in Ogoni using the military has not helped matters but has rather endangered the Ogoni people.

“Attempts to force oil resumption in Ogoniland without the consent of the people have always been resisted. Usually, the government responds by sending soldiers who shoot and kill Ogoni people and we do not want this to happen again”

Nsuke further warned that “killing Ogoni people over oil could attract sympathy from the rest of the Niger Delta and possibly throw the region into crisis”

He described the campaigns for oil resumption as an invitation to state repression against the Ogoni people noting that the Ogoni environment cannot support any form of oil exploitation at this time.

“The Ogoni people and the environment can logically not support any form of oil production at the moment as the people have not been receptive to the idea. The implication is that every attempt to force oil production in Ogoni will be resisted by the people and government will as usual respond by sending in the soldiers to kill us which we do not want. It is therefore imperative that to save lives, we must not contemplate oil resumption in Ogoni at this time” Nsuke said.

According to him, Shell’s crime against the Ogoni people were still very fresh and affecting lives severely, therefore, plans to resume oil production without the people’s consent could cause civil protests and lead to conflicts with attendant loss of lives.

Signed

Dcn Monday Ziinu

Gen Secretary, MOSOP

Disclaimer

The views, information, allegations or opinions expressed above are those of the author/originator of the article. They have not been substantiated by the publisher of this website and may not represent the publisher’s views. read more

By Elisha Bala-Gbogbo: 5 June 2019, 01:00 BST

About 100,000 barrels of crude are being taken daily: SBM

Oil-theft is now an industry employing thousands in Nigeria

Just as Nigeria gets to grips with militants who brought the nation’s oil industry to its knees a few years ago, another group of longstanding foes are slowly making a comeback: thieves.

Saboteurs including thieves caused an 80% increase in the number of spills in 2018, Royal Dutch Shell Plc, the largest international producer in the West African country, said in a report last month. By contrast, there have been no militant-related halts to operations since 2016. read more

The MOSOP president said the Ogoni struggle for justice in Nigeria has consumed over 4,000 lives and currently endangers the lives of over 1,000,000 people owing to Shell and Nigeria’s unjust practices and unfair laws that oppress indigenous communities like the Ogoni people. read more

Earlier this month, a Dutch court ruled that it had the jurisdiction and would hear a damages lawsuit against Shell brought by the widows of activists executed by Nigeria’s government after the protests in Ogoniland in the 1990s.

By Tsvetana Paraskova – May 27, 2019, 4:00 PM CDT

The Nigerian unit of Royal Dutch Shell doesn’t have any plans to return to exploring or producing oil in Ogoniland in Nigeria’s Rivers state after it ceased operations there in the 1990s, Igo Weli, General Manager, External Relations, at the Shell Petroleum Development Company (SPDC) said this weekend at the release of Shell Nigeria’s 2019 Briefing Notes.

SPDC, as operator of the SPDC Joint Venture, carried out exploration and production operations in Ogoniland from the 1950s until the early 1990s. Production ceased in 1993 following a rise in violence, threats to staff, and attacks on facilities, Shell said. read more

Esther Kiobel and John Donovan, 28 April 2019, days before a Dutch court ruled in favour of Esther and her co-plaintiffs in an action against Shell allowing their case to proceed

By John Donovan

In 1996, Shell used the sinister specialist services of what could be described as an in-house spying resource set up by former MI6 officers, Hakluyt & Company Limited with titled Shell directors acting as the ultimate spymasters.

At that time, Sir William Purves was Chairman of Hakluyt & Company Limited and Sir Peter Holmes, a former Chairman of Shell, was President of the Hakluyt Foundation. Both were also major shareholders in the corporate spy outfit, while also being Shell directors.

Hakluyt was allegedly set up to carry out “deniable” corporate espionage operations.

A German-born secret service agent Manfred Schlickenrieder working undercover for Hakluyt was sent to Nigeria on a mission relating to allegations of environmental damage caused by Shell’s oil drilling in Ogoniland.

Extracts from a related front-page article published by The Sunday Times in 2001 under the headline MI6 ‘Firm’ Spied on Green Groups:

Schlickenrieder sometimes posed as a left-wing sympathizer and documentary filmmaker.

He also tried to dupe Anita Roddick’s Body Shop group to pass on information about its opposition to Shell drilling for oil in a Nigerian tribal land.

His company was a one-man band with a video camera making rarely seen documentaries.

He made a film on Shell in Nigeria called Business as Usual: the Arrogance of Power, during which he interviewed friends of Ken Saro-Wiwa, the Nobel prize nominee, who was hanged by the military regime in 1995 after leading a campaign against oil exploration. Schlickenrieder sent a letter to a Body Shop executive saying he had been researching the activities of Shell in Nigeria…

Fouad Hamdan, communications director of Greenpeace Germany, said: “The bastard was good, I have to admit. “He got information about our planned Atlantic Frontier campaign…”  He added: “Manfred filmed and interviewed all the time…”

The Sunday Times article is short on dates and information about what Shell’s undercover agent was up to in Nigeria, but it was at a time when litigation was being contemplated against Shell by relatives of Ken Saro Wiwi and Ogoni Nine widows.

Perhaps information about the purpose and timing of his spying mission in Nigeria will be contained in the confidential Shell internal documents the Dutch Court has ordered to be handed over to Esther Kiobel and her co-plaintiffs. Sight of his briefing by Shell/Hakluyt could be very revealing.

Part of the Kiobel & Co Dutch case against Shell relates to alleged Shell bribing of witnesses in the Ogoni Nine trial, which ended with the hanging of all nine individuals, including Ken Saro-Wiwi and the beloved husband of Esther Kiobel, Dr Barinem Kiobel.

Salient extracts from the Wikipedia article “Ogoni Nine”

The executions provoked international condemnation and led to the increasing treatment of Nigeria as a pariah state…

At least two witnesses who testified that Saro-Wiwa was involved in the murders of the Ogoni elders later recanted, stating that they had been bribed with money and offers of jobs with Shell to give false testimony – in the presence of Shell’s lawyer.

Shell’s close association with former MI6 people has continued through the years. They always seem to be lurking in the shadows.

I am in possession of irrefutable evidence that an ex MI6 man Ian Forbes McCredie,  hired by Shell to be head of Shell Global Security, was also part of Hakluyt & Company.

More recently, Ben van Beurden, the current Chief Executive of Royal Dutch Shell Plc mentioned in a telephone conversation that Shell had hired former MI6 people in connection with the OPL 245 oil deal. He did not know that the conversation was being covertly recorded by OPL 245 investigative authorities.

Two of the defendants in the current OPL 245 criminal $1.3bn  corruption trial against Shell in Italy are indeed former MI6 agents; namely John Copleston and Guy Colegate.

Would someone kindly explain how any of this sinister and unscrupulous activity is compatible with Shell’s claimed core business principles, including honesty, integrity and transparency?

ARTICLE ENDS

Disclosure by the author of this article: The lead claimant Esther Kiobel, her lawyer Channa Samkalden of the Dutch human rights law firm Prakken d’Oliveira representing the widows, and the acclaimed human rights organisation Amnesty International, have all acknowledged the involvement of John Donovan in bringing *this case. (*See Writ of Summons in English and Dutch served on Shell 28 June 2017 – copy obtained from US Pacer public electronic court records) As Esther generously said on 28 April 2019, the Dutch case would not have happened without the help of John Donovan.  read more

Barinem was hanged in November 1995. He had spoken out against the enormous pollution of Ogoniland, an area in southeastern Nigeria where Shell won oil. Eight others were hanged with him, including writer Ken Saro Wiwa. They were called the Ogoni 9.

Printed below is an English translation of an article published today by the Dutch FT, Financieele Dagblad.

Nigerian Esther Kiobel (center) and Victoria Bera (right) with their lawyer Channa Samkalden for the verdict at the court in The Hague. Photo: Bart Hoogveld for the FD

Carel Grol

Esther Kiobel is a combative grandmother. And happy, too. In fact, she feels “great” in the wide and high corridor on the second floor of the palace of justice in The Hague.

She has just heard that the Dutch court is handling her case. The trial that she and three other ladies, all widowed, filed against Shell. It is an intermediate step in her search for justice that has been going on for more than two decades and takes place on three continents. read more

“Today’s ruling will have great significance for people everywhere who have been harmed by the greed and recklessness of global corporations.”

1 May 2019, 10:08 UTC

The District Court of The Hague today issued an interim ruling in the case brought by Esther Kiobel and three other women with regard to Shell’s involvement in the unlawful arrest, detention and execution of their husbands by the Nigerian military. It ruled in favour of the plaintiffs, that the court does have jurisdiction of the case and that this should not be time barred.

The court also ruled that Shell should hand over some confidential internal documents to the plaintiffs’ lawyers, and that they would have the opportunity to examine witnesses. read more

A Dutch court may decide on Wednesday if Shell was complicit in the Nigerian government’s execution of the Ogoni Nine, environmental activists who were trying to fight the petroleum company’s exploitation of their oil-rich homeland.

The widows of four of the activists accuse Shell of instigating a brutal crackdown against peaceful protesters that led to the deaths of the Ogoni Nine in 1995.

Two of the widows will be in court to hear the ruling, in their most recent attempt to get justice for their husbands, who were falsely accused of murder and hanged in secret under Sani Abacha’s military regime after what is widely acknowledged to have been a discredited trial. read more

By Dulue Mbachu and Sherry Su: 30 April 2019, 10:38 BST Updated on 30 April 2019

Shell, Total declare force majeure on some crude oil grades

Idled Chevron well suffers fire after third-party incident

A spate of disruptions and security concerns, including kidnappings, are threatening to hinder surging Nigerian oil exports.

Royal Dutch Shell Plc and Total SA declared force majeure on some of their Nigerian exports over the past week, a measure that allows companies to skip supply obligations. Chevron Corp.’s Nigerian unit said an idled well was interfered with.

While the precise cause of the Total force majeure remains unclear, the Shell and Chevron incidents involved third parties. The disruption comes just a few years after militants caused Nigeria’s oil production to plunge by attacking pipelines and other pieces of energy infrastructure. read more