A major legal showdown is unfolding in the Niger Delta as His Royal Majesty, King Bubaraye Dakolo, has filed a lawsuit against oil giant Shell, accusing the company of attempting to divest its onshore assets without cleaning up decades of environmental damage.
Backed by a coalition of civil society groups and legal experts, the monarch is demanding that Shell halt its planned exit from the region until it decommissions old infrastructure, remediates polluted sites, and compensates affected communities.
The Federal High Court in Yenagoa is hearing the case, which also names the Minister of Petroleum Resources, the Nigerian Upstream Petroleum Regulatory Commission (NUPRC), and the Attorney General of the Federation as defendants.
King Dakolo, who leads the Ekpetiama Kingdom in Bayelsa State, says Shell’s operations in the Gbarain oil fields have caused widespread pollution, destroyed livelihoods, and poisoned water sources.
“This divestment is a crude attempt by Shell to run away from the disaster it created,” the monarch said. “We demand justice, not abandonment.”
Civil society organisations including Social Action Nigeria, HOMEF, and HEDA, have thrown their support behind the lawsuit, describing it as a defining moment for environmental justice in Nigeria.
Legal counsel for the plaintiffs argues the divestment violates constitutional rights and environmental laws, and sets a dangerous precedent for unaccountable corporate exits.
Environmental reports from the Bayelsa State Oil and Environmental Commission back the claims, revealing alarming levels of pollution linked to Shell’s activities, including toxic water, unfit farmland, and degraded air quality.
“This is more than a court case,” said Reverend Nnimmo Bassey of HOMEF. “It’s a test of Nigeria’s commitment to justice, accountability, and the rights of its people.”
The case could reshape how multinational oil companies exit Nigeria, and whether they can do so without cleaning up their mess.
