After defying court orders for 10 years, Shell Petroleum Company (SPC), one of the International Oil Companies (IOC) operating in the Niger Delta, has accepted to pay a N45.9bn compensation over oil spillage that ravaged communities in Ogoniland between 2008 and 2009.
The judgment was delivered on Wednesday by Justice Ahmed Ramat Mohammed of the Federal High Court in Abuja.
Blueprint reports that the legal brawl between the Ogoni people and the multi-national oil giant had dragged as far as a High Court in the United Kingdom, where the former went to seek justice.
But at the resumed hearing in Abuja, the oil company finally agreed to work out the compensation to the people for the losse suffered during the oil spillage that ravaged their communities.
The presiding Judge held that the monetary compensation ordered 10 years ago be paid to the Ogonis through their lawyer, Chief Lucius Nwosu.
In their acceptance through its lawyer, Chief A. O. Ejelamo (SAN), Shell Petroleum Company declared their decision to pay up the money while addressing the court.
The senior lawyer nevertheless sought the order of Justice Mohammed to permit payment of the debt through the Chief Registrar of the court in a bank account to be opened for the purpose.
Blueprint recalls that Justice Ibrahim Buba of the Lagos Division of the Federal High court had in a judgment on June 14, 2010, awarded the sum in favour of the Ogoni people in a suit filed by the aggrieved communities.
However, the Ogonis waived the interest on the principal amount as concession agreed upon during reconciliation.
