Obey court judgment, ERA/FoEN tells Exxonmobil

The Environmental Rights Action/Friends of the Earth Nigeria (ERA/FoEN) has urged ExxonMobil Nigeria to urgently comply with the recent Federal High Court judgement which ordered it to pay the sum of N81.9 billion as compensation for oil spills.

The spills were reported to be from the company’s facilities between 2000 and 2010 and was said to have affected fishing and farming communities in Ibeno local government area of Akwa Ibom state.

The claimants had amongst others, demanded for adequate compensation for several oil spills that destroyed their rivers, streams and other sources of livelihoods.

A Federal High Court sitting in Abuja, had in a recent judgment given ExxonMobil and the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) 14 days ultimatum to pay N81.9 billion to the claimants (communities).

The executive director of ERA/FoEN, Godwin Uyi Ojo, in a statement issued in Benin City, described the court verdict as long walk to environmental justice and protection of the environment and livelihoods.

Ojo said: “The judgment is also significant because payment of compensation to the victims of oil pollution will impact positively on the lives of the people of the Niger Delta suffering under the heavy burden of oil spill pollution and destruction of their livelihoods.”