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CIVIL SOCIETY, LEGAL EXPERTS BACK KING DAKOLO’S SUIT AGAINST SHELL’S UNJUST NIGER DELTA SELLOFF

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CIVIL SOCIETY, LEGAL EXPERTS BACK KING DAKOLO’S SUIT AGAINST SHELL’S UNJUST NIGER DELTA SELLOFF

By: Michael Mike

A coalition of civil society organisations – Social Action Nigeria, the Health of Mother Earth Foundation (HOMEF), the International Working Group on Petroleum Pollution and the Just Transition in the Niger Delta (IWG), the Bayelsa State Non-Governmental Organisations Forum (BANGOF), HEDA Resource Centre, Kebetkache Women Development and Resource Centre, and others – stands in firm solidarity with His Royal Majesty, King Bubaraye Dakolo, Agada IV of Ekpetiama Kingdom and Chair of the Bayelsa State Council of Traditional Rulers, as the Federal High Court, Yenagoa, convenes today for the first hearing of the suit filed against Shell, the Minister of Petroleum Resources, the Nigerian Upstream Petroleum Regulatory Commission (NUPRC), and the Attorney General of the Federation.

The suit challenges Shell’s attempt to divest its onshore oil assets and exit the Niger Delta without first decommissioning obsolete infrastructure, remediating environmental damage, and compensating the Ekpetiama people for long-standing harm. It raises fundamental issues about the constitutional and environmental rights of the Niger Delta’s indigenous communities, Shell’s corporate liability, and the Nigerian government’s responsibility to protect its citizens.
A struggle for justice and dignity in the Niger Delta.

In the statement of claim, King Dakolo outlines how Shell’s operations in the Gbarain oil fields – located within the Ekpetiama Kingdom in Yenagoa Local Government Area of Bayelsa State -have led to massive oil spills, gas flaring, and the destruction of fishing and farming livelihoods. The community’s rivers, forests, and farmlands have been rendered toxic and unsustainable for life and livelihoods.

The plaintiffs argue that Shell’s planned divestment of its interest in the Shell Petroleum Development Company (SPDC) without fulfilling its environmental obligations in accordance with the Nigerian Constitution and laws is illegal and unjust, and that the Nigerian state, through the Minister of Petroleum Resources, NUPRC, and the Attorney General, has failed in its duty to prevent such corporate evasion of responsibility.

King Dakolo and the Ekpetiama people seek to stop Shell’s planned divestment until Shell accounts for its environmental devastation, remediates polluted sites, decommissions obsolete infrastructure, and compensates the host communities affected by over six decades of irresponsible oil extraction.

This suit represents a stand for the rights of host communities and the rule of law in Nigeria. The plaintiffs are asking the court to:

  •    Declare that Shell’s proposed divestment without environmental remediation and decommissioning is unlawful;
  •    Compel the NUPRC and federal authorities to fulfill their constitutional and statutory responsibilities;
  •    Uphold the constitutional rights of affected communities under the Nigerian Constitution (right to life and dignity);
  •    Prevent the transfer of assets and liabilities to successor companies without legal and environmental accountability.

According to Barrister Chuks Uguru, lead counsel for the plaintiffs, “this action against SPDC, Shell Corporation, Renaissance Group, and federal agents is over the unlawful divestment of oil assets in Ekpetiama Kingdom whose members have the fundamental right to a clean and healthy environment under the Nigerian Constitution and the African Charter.”
Backed by facts: the Bayelsa Commission report
This case is grounded in the extensive findings of the Bayelsa State Oil and Environmental Commission (BSOEC), composed of experts from Europe, North America, and Africa. 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 Organisation safety limits;
  •    Oil spills have contaminated nearly all primary water sources, forcing residents to rely on visibly polluted creeks and ponds;
  •    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.

Shell, the largest operator, was named as a primary culprit.

“This divestment is a crude attempt by Shell to run away from the disaster it created,” said His Royal Majesty, King Bubaraye Dakolo. “We demand justice, not abandonment. Shell must clean up, compensate, and decommission. Only then can it leave.”
This is a test case for corporate accountability
The case has drawn broad support from national and international civil society groups concerned about environmental justice and a just energy transition.

“Shell wants to exit with profit, leaving behind toxic air, poisoned water, and broken communities,” said Dr. Isaac Asume Osuoka, Director of Social Action Nigeria. “We are here to say: no more. Planned onshore asset selloffs by transnational oil corporations must not become a license to flee environmental accountability in the Niger Delta extraction sites, which is home to human beings.”

“The Niger Delta cannot be a sacrificial zone for fossil fuel greed,” added Reverend Nnimmo Bassey, Executive Director of the Health of Mother Earth Foundation (HOMEF). “We stand in solidarity with King Dakolo and the people of Ekpetiama Kingdom in demanding that Shell pay for the damage it has done before it walks away.”
“The evidence is clear. Seventy years of fossil fuel production in Nigeria’s Niger Delta has destroyed ecosystems, economies, environments and human habitats. If just transition is to be more than just a slogan, clean up, restoration, and repair must be mandatory for oil companies divesting, before they up sticks and leave,” said Dr. Kathryn Nwajiaku‑Dahou, Director of the Politics and Governance Programme at ODI Global and co-Convener of the IWG.

International dimensions: precedent for transition justice

Developments in the Niger Delta, which contains the most polluted oil and gas production sites in the world world, have relevance for the global transition away from fossil fuels. That is why this case poses urgent questions about what a just transition means for communities here and others in the tropical regions of the Global South, which are at the frontlines of fossil extraction.
“This case sets a precedent in Nigeria, the Gulf of Guinea region, and globally,” said Professor Engobo Emeseh, Head of the School of Law at the University of Bradford, United Kingdom, speaking for the Legal and Justice Committee of the IWG. “It says clearly: there can be no just energy transition without corporate accountability, environmental restoration, and community consent.”

Call to the judiciary: uphold the law, defend the people

We call on the Federal High Court to act decisively to:

  •    Restrain Shell and its partners from finalising any asset sale or divestment until full compliance with environmental and human rights obligations is demonstrated;
  •    Compel regulators like the NUPRC to enforce the Petroleum Industry Act and protect host communities;
  •    Affirm the rights of indigenous peoples of the Niger Delta to clean environments, safe livelihoods, and full consultation.
    “This is a crucial moment in Nigeria’s environmental and legal history,” according to Olanrewaju Suraju, Director of HEDA Resource Centre. “The court has a unique opportunity to uphold justice, protect the rule of law, and demonstrate that no corporation is above accountability in Nigeria.”
  • CIVIL SOCIETY, LEGAL EXPERTS BACK KING DAKOLO’S SUIT AGAINST SHELL’S UNJUST NIGER DELTA SELLOFF

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Zulum: No cause for alarm over raising of Alau Dam

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Zulum: No cause for alarm over raising of Alau Dam

By: Our Reporter

Borno State Governor, Professor Babagana Umara Zulum has allayed the fear over the rising level of water at Alau Dam, noting that there is no cause of alarm.

There has been widespread fear of flood and anxiety among residents of Maiduguri following the recent downpour.

The governor made this known shortly after inspecting the ongoing reconstruction work at Alau Dam, near Maiduguri.

Zulum said that the widespread panic in Maiduguri was also a serious concern to his administration but insisted that there was no cause for alarm over any possible devastating flood due to overflow from Alau Dam.

He remarked that new channels have been opened up, and the water was running, saying the level of water in Alau Dam has dropped about 4 inches within the last few days, and the volume would continue to drop.

“As at now based on the engineering knowledge we are having, we concluded that there is no cause for alarm,” Zulum stated.

“However, nobody knows what will happen tomorrow, we are working and shall continue to monitor this programme. The contractor is doing a good job.

The governor, however, warned the residents in flood-prone areas from dumping refuse into the drainage systems in front of their houses and those who were in the habit of building on water ways to desist from doing so.

“Most importantly, I want to warn the people of this state to desist from building on water ways, and they should be very careful” he said.

The governor urged the residents to be law abiding, saying ” if you have drainage in front of your house, you have to make sure you clean it all the time.”

On reviewing the master plan, Zulum said that his administration was going to look at the whole master plan and see where distortions were being made with a view to rectify all abnormalities.

“But we must go back to the drawing board and then look at the master plan and ensure that all tributaries and all water ways shall be cleared so as to allow inflow of water to the main canal.

“We must enforce certain environmental standards, which is very painful but I believe we have no option,” Zulum said.

On the delay of the reconstruction of Alau Dam, the Governor said that the delay was due to some technical procedures, but assured the public that the contractors had resumed fully.

He thanked President Bola Tinubu for approving N80 billion to execute the ongoing work at Alau Dam.
End

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Governor Buni launches the 2025 mega agricultural empowerment program in Yobe.

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Governor Buni launches the 2025 mega agricultural empowerment program in Yobe.

By: Yahaya Wakili

In his efforts to enhance agriculture production, increasing food sufficiency and food security, as well as to improve the economy of the state. Yobe State Governor Hon. Mai Mala Buni CON has launched another 2025 Mega Agricultural Empowerment Program at August 27 Stadium, Damaturu. Saying agriculture remains the main occupation of over 90 percent of the state’s population, who are either engaged in crop production, livestock agriculture, or both.

Adding that, this becomes necessary for the government to be more committed to developing the sector for our people to migrate from subsistence farming to mechanized agriculture.

Governor Buni further revealed that, last year, the state government unveiled a mega Agricultural Empowerment Program that was launched by His Excellency President Bola Ahmed Tinubu GCFR, who was ably represented by the vice president, His Excellency Senator Kashim Shettima GCON. Governor Buni appreciates His Excellency President Bola Ahmed Tinubu GCFR, piloting the affairs of our great country at this very challenging moment, adding that the commitment of your administration to security is no doubt yielding the desired result, with our communities having access to their farmlands with increased agricultural productivity for economic growth.

“Last year, Yobe state government procured agricultural machines, including 100 tractors, 889 hand push planters, 599 hand push tiller machines, 4,202 solar powered irrigation machines, over 1,000 harvesters, 72,000 bags of fertilizer, ox -drawn ploughs, small ruminants and assorted improved seedlings among others and distributed to over 5,300 beneficiaries across the 178 political wards in the state, the intervention by the state government last year contributed tremendously to the increase in food production and economic empowerment of our people, therefore, the government found it expedient to intensify this intervention to provide more support for more people to benefit and expand production.”

“This year, the government procured 40 Massey Ferguson tractors, 1,961 power tillers, 1,250 hand-push planters, 553 multipurpose threshers, 3,410 solar water pumps, 830 fertilizer applicators, 4,500 bags of NPK 20-10-10 fertilizer, 195 crop residue crushers, 495 crop residue choppers, 20,000 assorted improved seeds, assorted agrochemicals, 4,000 bunches of cassava stems, assorted certified seeds, 50 tricycles, and 30 motorcycles to be distributed to farmers across the state.”

“In line with our policy to promote agricultural development in the state, the governor directed that the machines, equipment, and other farm implements should be distributed free to deserving farmers and also directed a 50% subsidy on the sale of fertilizer to farmers, adding that this administration has carefully and systematically embarked on an all-inclusive, multi-sectorial approach to make our recovery program successful and beneficial to our people across the 17 local government areas.

He said his administration has prudently and judiciously managed the state resources to address the destruction caused by the protracted security challenge and other decays caused by aging, especially on structures predating the creation of the state. Adding that, the government has taken the bold and deliberate step to address the infrastructural challenges facing Damaturu after it became the capital of our dear state 34 years ago. This is to find solutions to the corresponding challenges of its growing size, increase in population, increase in the density of traffic flow, controlling the floods, and curbing the incessant menace of traffic accidents at the city center.

“I am proud to state with a very high sense of responsibility, humility, and satisfaction that our administration has over the years accorded great attention to all the critical sectors, including agriculture, education, healthcare delivery, road construction, water supply, wealth creation, and employment generation, to improve the lives of our people,” Buni said.

Governor Buni launches the 2025 mega agricultural empowerment program in Yobe.

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Brief on the late Emir of Gudi

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Brief on the late Emir of Gudi

By: Yahaya Wakili

The late Emir of Gudi, Alhaji Isa Bunuwo Ibn Madubu Khaji, was born in Gadaka town in 1950, a time that is considered in history with the arrival of the first batch of Christian missionaries to Gadaka town, the Fika Native Authority, and later the Fika Emirate.

Alhaji Isa Bunuwo started his western education at Gadaka Central Primary School, and on graduation he gained employment under the Fika native authority in 1969 as an instructor in the Agricultural Department. He then proceeded on course to the College of Agriculture in Maiduguri, the northeastern state, in 1972.

On graduation, the late Isa Bunuwo was transferred from the agriculture department to the treasury, and after settling, he secured admission into the Staff Training Center Potiskum, now the College of Business and Administrative Studies (CABS), where he graduated with a diploma certificate in accountancy in 1983.

Alhaji Isa Bunuwo Ibn Madubu Khaji was later seconded to the Federal Girls College Potiskum as an accountant and later redeployed to the treasury department as a revenue officer, then cashier, where he served for many years. Following the aspirations and desire of the people of Gudi to have a district, he was appointed as the District Head of the newly created district of Ngeji with headquarters at Gadaka in 1991.

The spirit and desire of the Ngamo people to have a kingdom continued, and this time around it was for the upgrading of the district to an emirate, where Alhaji Isa Bunuwo Ibn Madubu Khaji became the Mai Gudi with third-class grade status confirmed by Governor Bukar Abba Ibrahim FNIQS in 1993.

The hope of the Ngamo was, however, dashed following the change of government from civil to military in 1993 when the military administrator of Yobe state, then COMPOL Dabo Aliyu, reversed the appointment and dissolved the emirate.

Alhaji Isa Bunuwo Ibn Madubu Khaji had to adjust to his former position as district head of Ngeji and acted for nearly 6 years. When Alhaji Bukar Abba Ibrahim was re-elected for the second time, his appointment was resuscitated, and the wishes, yearning, and aspirations of the Ngamo and indeed all ethnic groups across Yobe state for getting their traditional chiefdoms were renewed.

The Emir of Gudi and all other emirs received various upgrades from their grades to a higher one, an exercise that was conducted in several phases, which brought all the emirs from their previous classes to first-class status, and the Emir of Gudi was among the beneficiaries in 2007.

The late Emir of Gudi enjoys farming, and he has received awards from the Farmers Institute of Nigeria, has travelled widely within and outside Nigeria, and is happily married to four wives.

Brief on the late Emir of Gudi

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