Mkpoikana Udoma
Port Harcourt — Protests erupted in Ogale community, Eleme, Rivers State, on Thursday as the community demanded justice and compensation from Shell over years of oil spills and environmental devastation.
Hundreds of protesters, all dressed in black attire, converged at Ogale manifold operated by Shell Nigeria, following the commencement of hearing in a landmark case in a UK court, where 13,000 Nigerian farmers are suing Shell for environmental pollution and destruction of their communities.
The protests were also in solidarity with King Bebe Okpabi, the Ogale traditional ruler, who is in UK for the legal battle against Shell. The hearing on the case, which begins today and will run until March 2025, seeks to establish Shell’s liability and compensation for decades of environmental damage in the Niger Delta.
Speakjng, the Female Ruler of Egbemgbala, a sub-community in Ogale, Chief Mrs. Igwe Benjamin Ngajima, decried the impact of oil pollution on drinking water and women’s reproductive health, calling for Shell to be held accountable.
“Oil spill contamination affects our drinking water; the underground water is totally polluted. This pollution also affects the fertility of our women. We want Shell to pay us compensation for these contaminations,” she stated.
“The people of Ogale are protesting in solidarity with our king, Babbe Okpabi, who is already in London for the case. We are here to say enough is enough and justice must be served,” said one of the protesters.
Recall that another oil spill on February 2, 2025, from a Shell-operated manifold, occured in the same community, and for the first time in a long while, Shell admitted responsibility for the spill, further fueling calls for compensation and cleanup efforts.
The United Nations Environment Programme, UNEP, had previously reported high levels of benzene, a cancer-causing chemical, in Ogale’s underground water, a key piece of evidence in the farmers’ case against Shell.
Also speaking, Mr. Celestine Akpobari, an Ogoni rights activist, who was at the protest venue, called for an urgent state of emergency in Ogale.
“Things are terribly bad here. Anytime I come to this community, I have a serious headache because of the high deposit of hydrocarbon in the air. I don’t know how they survive here. The government needs to declare a state of emergency, relocate the people, clean up their community, restore natural habitats, and return them when it’s safe.”
Akpobari also criticized the Nigerian government’s failure to protect oil-producing communities.
“It’s not just about drilling oil while the people are dying. The money being spent in Abuja is blood money. People are dying in the communities where this oil is being drilled.”
Other rights activists, including Pobel William, condemned Shell’s role in the devastation of Eleme and Ogoni environment and called for an end to oil spills and corporate impunity.
“We say absolutely no to this devastation of Ogale’s environment. It is cruelty on the part of Shell to continue to destroy our land. We say no to oil spills, no to injustice. We refuse to die. We cannot be destroyed by the blessing that God has given us. We cannot afford to die because of Shell. Enough is enough!”
The Ogale protests and the UK lawsuit represent a growing movement for environmental justice in the Niger Delta. As the legal battle unfolds, Ogale residents and activists remain steadfast in their demands: compensation, cleanup, and accountability.
