The international court yesterday, ordered Shell to clean-up the polluted communities and restore the livelihoods of the affected victims.
The Court was however silent on the case of Ikot Ada Udo, in Akwa Ibom state because of the unclarity of the facts.
Acting Executive Director of Environmental Rights Action, Chima Williams told newsmen after the judgement monitored virtually from Port Harcourt, that Shell should obey the order of the Court, pay compensation to the affected communities and end all litigations regarding the matter.
Williams also said the Hague will calculate the compensation claims payable by Royal Dutch Shell to the affected victims.
Victims of the oil spill in Goi-Ogoni, Eric Dooh and Chief Fidelis Oguru of Oruma communities, expressed delight over the long awaited judgement.
Our correspondent Victor Ezeama reports that the judgement which was monitored virtually from Port Harcourt, comes after thirteen years of painstaking litigation where Goi community in Ogoni, Rivers State and Oruma Community in Bayelsa State dragged Royal Dutch Shell to Court in 2008.
The communities sought the intervention of the court after several failed attempts to bring Shell to book in Nigerian Courts.
They sought a declaratory judgment for cleanup and compensation for loss of fishing ponds, income and livelihoods, and preventive measures to stop oil spills from Shell’s aged pipelines from destroying their farmlands and fishponds in the future.
