Shell Accused of Ignoring Warnings Over Alleged Oil Clean-Up Scam in Nigeria
A BBC investigation has revealed damning allegations that Shell, the multinational energy giant, ignored repeated warnings about corruption and mismanagement in a $1 billion (£805 million) oil clean-up project in Nigeria’s Niger Delta. The project, launched to address decades of oil pollution in Ogoniland, has been described by a whistleblower as a “con” and a “scam,” leaving communities to suffer the devastating consequences of environmental degradation.
The clean-up initiative, known as the Hydrocarbon Pollution Remediation Project (Hyprep), was established in 2012 following a groundbreaking United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) report. The report exposed the severe impact of oil spills in Ogoniland, revealing that drinking water in one community was contaminated with benzene, a known carcinogen, at levels 900 times above the World Health Organization’s safety guidelines. Despite promises of remediation, the BBC has uncovered evidence that Shell and the Nigerian government were repeatedly warned about systemic failures in the project.
Allegations of Fraud and Mismanagement
A whistleblower involved in the project told the BBC that Hyprep has been plagued by fraudulent practices, including the awarding of contracts to inexperienced companies, falsified laboratory results, inflated project costs, and obstruction of external audits. “It’s common knowledge that what we’re doing is a scam. Most of it is to fool the Ogoni people,” the whistleblower said, speaking on condition of anonymity. “It’s a con perpetuated so that more money can be put into the pot and end up in the pockets of politicians and other people in power.”
Internal documents seen by the BBC show that Shell and Nigerian government representatives were aware of these issues as early as 2023. Minutes from a meeting attended by Shell, UNEP, and Hyprep officials highlighted the engagement of “incompetent” contractors and the falsification of laboratory results. In 2022, the UN wrote to Nigeria’s environment ministry, warning that without significant changes, the “extremely poor standards” of the clean-up would persist.
Shell’s Response and Ongoing Legal Battle
Shell has denied wrongdoing, attributing much of the pollution in the Niger Delta to oil theft, sabotage, and illegal refining. In a statement to the BBC, Shell’s Nigerian subsidiary said, “When spills do happen from our facilities, we clean up and remediate, regardless of the cause. If it’s an operational spill, we also compensate people and communities.”
However, the company’s assurances have done little to quell the anger of affected communities. On Thursday, a civil trial is set to begin at the High Court in London, where lawyers representing two Ogoniland communities will argue that Shell must take responsibility for oil spills between 1989 and 2020. The plaintiffs, comprising around 50,000 residents, claim that the spills have left them without clean water, destroyed their livelihoods, and posed serious health risks.
A Legacy of Environmental Devastation
The Niger Delta, where Shell discovered oil 68 years ago, has endured one of the worst environmental disasters in history. According to the UN, at least 13 million barrels of crude oil have been spilled in the region since 1958, affecting millions of lives.
Residents like Grace Audi, 37, from Ogale in Rivers State, rely on contaminated boreholes for water, forcing them to spend a significant portion of their income on clean water. “We buy water for drinking, cooking, washing, and flushing,” Audi said. “It costs 4,500 naira ($3) a day, and the average daily wage here is less than $8.”
In Bodo, another affected community, Paulina Agbekpekpe, 50, recounted how oil spills destroyed her family’s fishing livelihood. “Most of the children have gotten diseases from the drinking water. Many have died. I’ve lost eight kids. My husband is sick,” she said. “People in Bodo are hungry and suffering.”
Shell’s Exit and Lingering Concerns
As Shell prepares to sell its Nigerian subsidiary, SPDC, to Renaissance Africa, a consortium of local and international companies, critics accuse the oil giant of attempting to evade responsibility for the environmental damage it has caused. Joe Snape, a lawyer at Leigh Day representing the Ogoniland communities, expressed concerns about the lack of transparency in the deal. “There’s incredibly little detail about what these deals will lead to,” Snape said. “At least with Shell, we have means of holding them to account.”
For many in the Niger Delta, the discovery of oil has brought nothing but suffering. Patience Ogboe, 42, a farmer in Rivers State, told the BBC that her crops have failed due to recent oil spills. “Formerly, if I harvested, I could eat some with my family and even sell some. But for the past few years, I could not get anything. It’s really bad,” she said.
A Call for Accountability
The allegations against Shell and Hyprep underscore the urgent need for accountability and transparency in addressing the environmental and humanitarian crisis in the Niger Delta. As the London trial unfolds, the world will be watching to see whether justice will be served for the communities that have borne the brunt of decades of oil pollution.
For now, the people of Ogoniland continue to live with the devastating consequences of a clean-up project that has failed to deliver on its promises, leaving them to wonder if they will ever see the restoration of their land and livelihoods.
Reference
Shell Accused of Ignoring Warnings Over Alleged Oil Clean-Up Scam in Nigeria