As a Federal High Court in Warri, Delta State, gets ready to render a decision in suit No: FHC/WR/CS/19/2022 on matters pertaining to a $1 billion insurance pollution indemnity claim, victims and communities affected by the Bonga oil spill of 2011 in the Niger Delta region may soon receive justice.
In a briefing to reporters in Warri, Mr. Harrison Jalla, Executive Director of Oil Spill Victims Vanguard (OSPIVV), a non-governmental organisation, stated that his group had brought Shell Group and Britannia Steamship Insurance Association Ltd. before the court, and he expressed the hope that the victims would receive a favourable ruling.
In his own words: “On April 22, 2022, the OSPIVV filed a lawsuit against the Shell Group and Britannia Steamship Insurance Association Ltd., committed to defending the rights and compensation of victims of oil spills, the health risks associated with gas flaring, and guaranteeing transparency and accountability in Nigeria’s extractive industries.
Recovering the insurance pollution indemnity claim for the legitimate beneficiaries—victims and communities affected by the 2011 Bonga oil spill—is the purpose of this legal action. “A judgement awarding $1 billion in insurance indemnity pollution claims is scheduled for the victims. Due to egregious negligence during the spill, the Niger Delta communities saw the greatest pollution in their history.
