The Niger Delta, Nigeria is one of the 10 most important wetland and coastal marine ecosystems in the world, and is home to some 31 million people. However the oil industry is destroying the natural resources these people depend on for survival. The environment in the Niger Delta has been widely polluted with farming and fishing industries decimated.
The main culprit is the multi-billion dollar oil company based in the UK, Shell plc. Shell’s failure to address oil spills quickly and effectively, and the Nigerian government’s lack of regulatory enforcement have seriously impacted the economic, social and cultural rights of hundreds of thousands of people in the Niger Delta.
More than 13,500 Ogale and Bille residents in the Niger Delta have filed claims against Shell ,and in February 2025, the first stage of the trial took place in the UK High Court with a full trial planned for 2027.
Separately, a judgement in 2024 rejected Shell’s attempt to stop the legal claim from the Bodo Community who were dissatisfied with the quality of previous clean-up operations by Shell, ruling that the community was entitled to have evidence heard for a trial on the adequacy of Shell’s clean up in Bodo. These proceedings concluded in June 2025, with judgement pending.
Shell announced in March 2025 that it had completed the sale of its Nigerian subsidiary the Shell Petroleum Development Company (SPDC) to the Renaissance consortium. This makes it all the more important that it is held fully accountable for the impact their industry has had on the environment.
Amnesty International is calling for all affected communities to be allowed to engage in the legal process to obtain justice, and for the harm done to them to be remedied.
Furthermore, Amnesty calls for Shell and other oil companies to conduct meaningful consultations with affected communities about its plans for remediation, with details of all completed and ongoing clean-ups across its areas of operation.
The Ogoni Nine
“The Ogoni Nine, a group of environmental activists led by Ken Saro-Wiwa, Nigeria’s leading author and campaigner, were brutally executed in 1995 by a regime that wanted to hide the crimes of Shell and other oil companies that were destroying the lives and livelihoods of thousands of people across the Niger Delta as a result of their devastating oil spills and leaks.
The execution of these activists gave the Nigerian government and oil companies, including Shell, licence to crackdown on protests and intimidate people in the Niger Delta who have been demanding justice and an end to their toxic pollution.
In June 2025, the Ogoni Nine received a Presidential pardon. This was welcome news but fell short of the justice the Ogoni Nine deserved. Amnesty has called on the Nigerian government to recognise formally that they are innocent of any crime and fully exonerate them.
Amnesty International Taunton Local Group 