Six families in four communities in Ogoni, Rivers State, have dragged Shell
Petroleum Development Company, SPDC, before the state high court sitting in Port
Harcourt over an oil spill in 2009 at its Bomu manifold facility in K Dere.
The plaintiffs are demanding compensation of N121.7 billion for what they
said was the severe hardship imposed on them and their local population by the
spill.
Bariaria Kpalep, spokesperson for the families, said the communities affected by the oil spill were Kegbara Dere, Kpor, Biara and Deken, while the plaintiffs are Gberebeedom, Keenom, Dugbor, Keregbor, Biradee and Nkoo/Gbienga Nbe.
The statement read in part, “In the suit (FHC/PH/CS/133/2012 – FHC/PH/CS/142/2012), the plaintiffs are seeking a N121, 703, 992, 208.00 compensation for severe impacts inflicted on them and the local populations.
“The communities are collectively claiming N88, 400,188, 208.00 while the families sought to be paid N33, 303, 804, 000.00 representing general damages (health issues and death of community and family members), loss of farming rights, shrines and sacred places and air pollution.
“Others are loss of fishing rights and replenishable ponds, economic trees, cash crops, land, swamps and creeks.”
It pointed out that apart from seeking financial compensation, the litigants were also seeking a Declaration that the defendant is under lawful duty to employ lawful and acceptable methods to clean-up the plaintiffs’ environment affected by oil spill.
The statement added, “We (the plaintiff) also seek a declaration that the defendant is under lawful duty to provide an alternative source of drinking water for the plaintiffs pursuant to their right to general satisfactory environment favourable enough to their development.
“A declaration that the defendant is under lawful duty to relocate the Bomu Manifold and pipelines to another location not close to the dwelling houses of the plaintiffs.”
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since Ogoni Communities is now to be developed, i urge the SPDC to kindly settle them with their request in order to avoid starvation in their area.
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