The Hague Civil Court on Wednesday rejected a suit against Royal Dutch Shell brought by a group of Nigerian farmers over an oil leak, saying that only local subsidiary Shell Nigeria was responsible and ordering the latter to compensate one farmer.
By News Wires (text)


A Dutch court on Wednesday rejected a bid by a group of Nigerian farmers to have Shell's parent company held responsible for oil damage, saying only subsidiary Shell Nigeria was responsible for one oil leak.

The court "dismissed all claims against the parent companies... since pursuant to Nigerian law a parent company in principle is not obliged to prevent its subsidiaries from harming third parties abroad," judge Henk Wien told the court.

Environmental groups had hoped that a ruling against Anglo-Dutch Shell, which is headquartered in the Netherlands, could set a precedent for global responsibility and open the door for hundreds of similar claims.

Judge Wien said however that Shell's Nigerian subsidiary must pay damages to the farmers and fishermen in one of their claims, relating to oil spills near the Niger Delta village of Ikot Ada Udo.

"Shell Nigeria has been sentenced to pay damages in one of the cases. All claims in the other four proceedings have been dismissed," Wien said.

http://www.france24.com/en/20130130-hague-court-rejects-nigerian-suit-royal-dutch-shell-oil

Nice one.
Say no to Imperialism

long overdue.

Long time coming

good, this is what the likes of asari and clark should be fighting for. kudos to the farmers, at least they will get a deserved compensation.

berem: long overdue.

I concur wella

Good. How about Mobil, dem no wan pay Comandclem? Abi dem want make fight burst first?