Why We Took SPDC, AGF, Federal Government Agencies to Court, Ekpetiama Kingdom Explains

By: Michael Mike

The people of Ekpetiama Kingdom in Bayelsa State has explained why a case was instituted against Shell Petroleum Development Company (SPDC), the Minister of Petroleum Resources, the Nigerian Upstream Petroleum Regulatory Commission (NUPRC), and the Attorney General of the Federation (AGF).

A landmark legal action had been instituted by His Royal Majesty, King Bubaraye Dakolo, Agada IV of Ekpetiama Kingdom, and the people of Ekpetiama Kingdom in Bayelsa State, against SPDC, the Minister of Petroleum Resources, the Nigerian Upstream Petroleum Regulatory Commission (NUPRC), and the Attorney General of the Federation at the Federal High Court, Yenagoa on June 20, 2024, with the full hearing scheduled to begin on July 22, 2025.

Addressing a press conference in Abuja, a conglomerate of civil society organisations, including the International Working Group on Petroleum Pollution and Just Transition in the Niger Delta (IWG), Health of Mother Earth Foundation (HOMEF) and Social Action Nigeria, and legal advocates said that are united in a common cause to demand justice for oil and gas bearing communities of the Niger Delta, who have endured over six decades of pollution, exploitation, and neglect.

They explained that the plaintiffs, led by HRM King Dakolo, are seeking a judicial declaration that Shell’s purported divestment from onshore assets in the Niger Delta violates Nigerian law, including the Petroleum Industry Act (2021) and relevant constitutional provisions protecting the right to life, human dignity, and the right to a clean and healthy environment.

They disclosed that among the key claims made in the suit are: That Shell and its corporate affiliates have caused catastrophic environmental damage, destroyed livelihoods, and harmed the health of community members through unremediated oil spills, gas flaring, and the abandonment of toxic infrastructure in the Gbarain oil fields, located within the Ekpetiama Kingdom; That Shell’s proposed sale of its 30% stake in SPDC to Renaissance Africa Energy Company Ltd. and other buyers is being conducted without fulfilling its legal obligations to decommission facilities, restore impacted sites, and compensate affected communities.

Also, that the Nigerian Upstream Petroleum Regulatory Commission (NUPRC) and other state actors have failed in their statutory duties to protect host communities, and instead facilitated a divestment process that shifts environmental and financial liabilities onto the Nigerian state and its people, rather than making the polluter to pay.

The plaintiffs are asking the court for: A declaration that the divestment is unlawful;
An injunction restraining Shell and its successors from finalising the transaction until legal obligations are met; An order compelling the government and regulatory agencies to fulfil their constitutional responsibilities to uphold environmental and human rights.

On his part, the Executive Director, Health of Mother Earth Foundation (HOMEF), Nnimmo Bassey said: “The Niger Delta has long been a brutalised sacrifice zone for fossil fuel colonialism. For more than seventy years, transnational oil companies, led by Shell, have extracted wealth from our lands and waters, leaving behind poisoned creeks, flaring skies, and broken lives.

“Ekpetiama is one of many communities that have become crime scenes of ecological warfare. This lawsuit is not simply about a community asserting its rights—it is about resisting annihilation.”

He added that: “At Health of Mother Earth Foundation (HOMEF), we hold that true justice must begin with the recognition that the environment is not a passive backdrop. It is life itself. A just transition must therefore start with healing the wounds of exploitation, ensuring that polluters do not run away but pay up, clean up, and restore what they have destroyed.

“The findings of the Bayelsa State Oil and Environmental Commission (BSOEC) make the situation painfully clear: Shell’s legacy is one of death zones, toxic exposure, loss of livelihoods, and denial of dignity. That is why we stand in unwavering solidarity with His Royal Majesty King Bubaraye Dakolo and the people of Ekpetiama.

“We call on the Nigerian state and the international community to reject Shell’s attempts to escape justice and to affirm that environmental crimes must be met with uncompromising accountability.”

King Bubaraye Dakolo, the Agada IV of Ekpetiama Kingdom; Chair, Bayelsa State Council of Traditional Rulers, in his assertion, said: “This case is not just about me or my kingdom. It is about justice for the entire Niger Delta. But allow me to speak from personal experience: the gas flares from the Gbarain Gas Plant blaze day and night just outside my window. I live with the constant light that has obliterated the night, the noise, and the poison in the air. My people drink from polluted streams and farmlands laced with crude. Our children breathe soot. Our people now suffer from cancers and unexplained diseases that were unknown before oil came.

“We have been treated as collateral damage in the ruthless pursuit of oil wealth. Our lands are poisoned, our rivers destroyed, and our people silenced. The realities have been documented in the report of international experts who were part of the Bayelsa State Oil and Environmental Commission (BSOEC).”

He noted that the Commission revealed that: Bayelsa State suffers from some of the worst oil pollution levels in the world, resulting from the operations of Shell and other international oil companies; Over 1.5 million people in Bayelsa are impacted by hydrocarbon pollution; Communities have been exposed to Chromium, benzene and other cancer-causing chemicals far exceeding World Health Organization safety limits; Oil spills have contaminated nearly all primary water sources, forcing residents to rely on visibly polluted creeks and ponds;

It also showed that soil samples revealed extremely high levels of Total Petroleum Hydrocarbons (TPH), rendering lands unfit for agriculture; Air quality measurements near Shell facilities recorded particulate matter and soot far above permissible health thresholds; In some communities, fish stocks have declined by over 70%, impacting food security and livelihoods; Shell and other oil companies have failed to carry out proper decommissioning and cleanup, leaving rusting, leaking pipelines and abandoned wellheads that continue to pollute;Environmental justice for victims continues to be a mirage, as mechanisms for legal redress fail to hold Shell and other oil companies accountable for the environmental genocide meted out on the people of Bayelsa.

The paramount ruler lamented that: “Shell operated in my kingdom with reckless disregard for life, law, and legacy. Now they want to walk away, sell off their assets, and evade responsibility. We say no. We demand justice. This lawsuit is a cry for recognition, reparation, and restoration.
We call on all well-meaning Nigerians, international observers, and justice-seeking people everywhere to follow this case closely. Let Shell know: the Niger Delta is not for sale.”

The Lead Counsel for the Plaintiffs, Chuks Uguru, said: “We have commenced legal action against SPDC, Shell Corporation, Renaissance Group, and federal agents over the unlawful divestment of oil assets in Ekpetiama Kingdom. Shell seeks to relinquish its assets and exit its decades-long operations in the region without addressing its environmental liabilities, in violation of Nigerian environmental laws and international standards.

“The right to a clean and healthy environment is a fundamental human right under the Nigerian Constitution and the African Charter on Human and Peoples’ Rights. Communities have endured loss of livelihoods, health impacts, and irreversible ecological damage.

“This suit demands that the divestment process be halted until full environmental remediation, decommissioning of obsolete infrastructure, and compensation to affected communities are carried out. We trust that the Federal High Court will act to uphold justice, enforce the rule of law, and protect the rights of the people of Ekpetiama and the entire Niger Delta.”

The Programme Manager, Social Development Integrated Centre (Social Action Nigeria), Dr. Prince Edegbuo, on his part said: “For nearly two decades, Social Action Nigeria has worked closely with frontline communities in the Niger Delta to expose systemic environmental and social injustices perpetrated by multinational oil companies. The story of the Ekpetiama Kingdom is emblematic of the broader experience of communities across the region whose lands have been sacrificed on the altar of fossil fuel extraction.

“In this case, we see an opportunity to shift the narrative away from impunity and denial toward accountability, redress, and repair. We must redefine what energy transition means for those who have borne the costs of extraction.

“Social Action Nigeria is proud to stand with the Ekpetiama people and other impacted communities. We support their legal challenge and broader struggle for recognition and restitution. Nigeria must rise above capture by vested interest. Our systems of justice and governance must serve the people, not just a few corporate profiteers and their enablers.

“We urge the judiciary, civil society, and the broader public to view this case as a watershed moment. Let it mark the beginning of an era where the lived condition of Nigerian citizens matter.”

Why We Took SPDC, AGF, Federal Government Agencies to Court, Ekpetiama Kingdom Explains

Emir of Fune celebrates 25 years on the throne

By: Yahaya Wakili

The Emir of Fune in Yobe State, Alhaji Dr. Saleh Idriss Ibn Usman, on Saturday, 28th June, 2025, celebrates his 25th anniversary on the throne. The colorful historic occasion was held at the emir’s place in Damagum, the headquarters of the emirate.

Alhaji Dr. Saleh Idriss Ibn Usman expressed his gratitude to Yobe State Governor, His Excellency Governor Mai Mala Buni, CON, COMN, Chiroman Gujba, and Sardaunan Fune for his continued support given to the emirate. He said he was appointed as Emir of Fune in 2000 after the demise of his senior brother, the late Alhaji Mohammed Shuwa, and within these 25 years, the emirate witnessed a lot of achievements and infrastructural development.

The royal father appealed to the people of his domain to redouble their efforts in engaging in farming activities so as to enable them to have enough food security in the domain, in Yobe State, and in Nigeria as a whole. And he also charged them to register their wards into school, as he said no development could be achieved withouteducation.

Also speaking at the occasion, the Deputy Governor of Yobe State, who is also the Wazirin Fune Emirate Council, Hon. Idi Barde Gubana, said the event was a milestone in the life of Alhaji Dr. Saleh Idriss Ibn Usman, noting that spending 25 years on the throne is a rare blessing from Allah (SWT) and he is worth celebrating.

The deputy governor congratulated the emir for the historic milestone of celebrating his silver jubilee on the throne and prayed to Almighty Allah to grant the emir more beneficial years in steering the affairs of the emirate. He said the administration of Mai Mala Buni holds traditional rulers in high esteem and recognizes their fatherly role in giving crucial advice to the government as well as promoting mutual understanding and peaceful coexistence among the various groups living within their domain.

In his remarks, His Royal Highness, the Shehu of Borno, Alhaji Abubakar Ibn Umar Garbai, who spoke on behalf of all the emirs and chiefs, urged the royal fathers to work for the unity and peace of their respective domains, and he congratulated the emir of Fune, Alhaji Dr. Saleh Idriss Ibn Usman, for clocking 25 years on the throne.

In a vote of thanks, the Madakin Fune and National Chairman of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP), Ambassador Umaru Iliya Damagum, expressed appreciation and thanked all the personalities for honoring the invitation and appealed to the people of the emirate to complement the efforts of the Yobe state government in supporting the emirate.

The personalities who attended the occasion include the Deputy Governor of Kano State, Comrade Aminu Abdulsalam Gwarzo; former Deputy Governor of Adamawa State Siege Crowth; former President of the Senate, Senator Ahmad Ibrahim Lawan, PhD, GCON, Sardaunan Bade; Shehu of Borno; Emirs of Fika, Bauchi, Bade, Damaturu, Machina, Misau, Balawaje, Kaltingo, Biu, Ningi, UBA, Nafada, Yusufari, Tikau, Pataskum, Jajere, Mai Tangale, Nguru, and Dukku; and representatives of the Emirs of Zazzau and Gaya Emirates.

Other dignitaries attending the occasion included the Secretary to the Yobe State Government, Baba Malam Wali mni; Head of Service, Alhaji Tonga Betara; Speaker of the Yobe State House of Assembly, RT. Hon. Chiroma Buba Mashio; and commissioners, among others.

The occasion also witnessed a wedding ceremony and the turbanning of kingmakers and council members as well as district heads of the emirate. Also, the Emir of Fune, Alhaji Saleh Idriss Ibn Usman, led a colorful burbar.

Emir of Fune celebrates 25 years on the throne

Youth Leader Calls for Extension of Tenure of NCS Comptroller General

By: Michael Mike

A foremost youth leader, Dr. Raymond Edoh has called for the extension of the tenure of the Comptroller General of the Nigeria Customs Service (NCS), Adewale Adeniyi
following his recent appointment as the Chairperson World Customs Organisation, the highest decision-making body in global customs administration.

Edoh said the extension is necessary to reward him following an overwhelming glory he has brought to Nigeria with his appointment as the Chairperson of the World Customs Organisation.

He said: “This is a glory for Nigeria. It has never happened before. This has been a long-awaited dream for Africa, only to be surprised to have it bagged by the Nigerian Adewale Adeniyi, the CG Customs, Nigeria Customs Service.

“The challenge now is, if his tenure is not elongated, Nigeria as a country, as well as Africa, will lose this most influential position within the Customs macrocosm, and the negative implication would be enormous.

“Against this backdrop, I, Dr. Raymond Edoh, call on the federal government to kindly extend his tenure so that Nigeria as a country and Africa at large can enjoy the accrued benefits associated with the position therein”.

Edoh, while congratulating Adeniyi, described him as a hardworking leader and passionate administrator per excellence, assuring WCO that he would make the organisation proud in his tenure.

He said: “In a resounding affirmation of confidence, members of the WCO elected Adewale Adeniyi to lead the organisation, recognising his commitment to enhancing international customs cooperation, trade facilitation, and effective border management. This significant appointment not only underscores Adeniyi’s exemplary leadership within the Nigeria Customs Service but also highlights Nigeria’s increasing influence in global affairs, particularly in customs and trade.

“The WCO plays a pivotal role in establishing international customs standards and practices, fostering global trade and economic development. With Adeniyi at the helm, we are sure he would birth strategic advancements that align with the goals of the WCO, emphasising digital transformation in customs procedures, addressing illicit trade challenges, and promoting sustainable practices”.

Edoh further stated that: “Adewale Adeniyi’s election as the Chairperson of the World Customs Organisation is not merely a personal achievement but a victory for Nigeria and a monumental step towards strengthening our role on the global stage. His leadership will undoubtedly foster a collaborative approach to customs that will benefit not just Nigeria but all nations in the collective pursuit of economic prosperity and security.

“Adewale Adeniyi has demonstrated exceptional leadership skills and a profound understanding of customs issues over his years of service in the Nigeria Customs Service. He has initiated various reforms aimed at modernising customs operations, reducing trade barriers, and increasing revenue generation. His vision for a more efficient customs system aligns with the WCO’s objectives and mirrors the aspirations of the Nigerian youth, who seek a brighter future characterised by integrity, transparency, and innovation in all sectors.

He noted that: “The youth of Nigeria are especially proud of this achievement. It serves as a beacon of hope, demonstrating that with determination and a clear vision, we can achieve positions of influence on the global platform. This is an inspiration to young leaders across Nigeria, proving that we are capable of driving change and impacting our communities on a larger scale.”

He said under Adeniyi’s leadership, there is an anticipated focus on technology and innovation as key drivers of customs reform. The integration of advanced technologies, such as blockchain and artificial intelligence, can streamline customs procedures, reducing delays and enhancing efficiency. This move towards digitalised customs processes will facilitate smoother international trade and strengthen the global supply chain.

He added that: “Adewale Adeniyi has always taken a stand against illicit trade practices. His leadership in the WCO presents an opportunity to tackle these critical issues with a comprehensive and collaborative approach, ensuring that customs administrations worldwide can effectively combat these challenges while promoting legitimate trade.

“The appointment of Adewale Adeniyi comes at an opportune moment when there is a growing need for enhanced cooperation among customs authorities globally. In light of recent global disruptions caused by the COVID-19 pandemic and geopolitical tensions, strong leadership in customs administration is essential to ensure that trade continues to flow unhindered. Adeniyi’s election is a strategic move towards stabilising the global trading environment and ensuring that customs systems are resilient against future challenges.

He however urged all stakeholders, including governments, businesses, and civil society, to rally behind Adewale Adeniyi’s leadership, stressing that: “It is imperative that we work together to achieve the WCO’s goals. “Collaboration will be key in ensuring that customs administrations operate effectively, facilitating trade while safeguarding our economies and societies.”

Dr. Raymond Edoh is a renowned youth leader and advocate for youth and sustainable development in Nigeria. With a deep passion for empowering young people and promoting progressive governance, Dr. Edoh has been at the forefront of various initiatives aimed at fostering youth participation in leadership and decision-making processes. He continues to inspire the next generation of leaders through his dedicated efforts and exceptional leadership skills.
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