Shell Petroleum Development Company,says it was not responsible for the oil spills which a Federal High Court in Abuja had ordered it to pay N45.9 billion as compensation to the people of Ogoni in Rivers State.
Bamidele Odugbesan, spokesperson for Shell Petroleum Development Company of Nigeria Limited,conveyed the clarity in a statement.
He said: ‘The order for the payment of N45.9billion to the claimants is for full and final satisfaction of the judgement in the suit, Chief Agbara and Others v. SPDC, in respect of the spills which we maintain were caused by third parties during the Nigerian Civil War, a challenging period which resulted in significant damage to oil and gas infrastructure in the Niger Delta region”
He maintained that while the SPDC Joint Venture does not accept responsibility or liability for these spills, the affected sites in the Ebubu community were fully remediated.
A Federal High Court sitting in Abuja had ordered Shell to shell out the sum of N45.9 billion as compensation to the people of Ogoni in Rivers State.
The sum is a cost awarded against the company several years ago for oil spillage in Ogoniland.
Justice Ahmed Mohammed, who gave the order on Wednesday, held that the amount must be paid to the Ogoni people within 21 days.
Counsel to Shell Petroleum Development Company (SPDC), Aham Ejelamo, informed the court that his client had agreed to make the payment.
He proposed that the money be paid through the Registrar of the court in a bank about to be opened for the purpose.
But Justice Mohammed ruled against the request and ordered that the payment be made within the period given through the account of the lawyer to the Ogoni people, Mr Lucius Nwosu.
He explained that this was in line with the decision of both the high court and the Supreme Court.
Ten representatives of the Ogoni people instituted the suit against Shell in 2001 for the losses allegedly caused by the oil spills.
