Due in court: Shell
Dutch court takes on Shell Nigeria case
A Dutch court ruled today that it had the authority to handle a case brought against a Shell unit claiming negligence related to oil spills in Nigeria.
Environmental group Friends of the Earth Netherlands and four Nigerians aim to sue Shell in a Dutch court on the negligence charges related to several incidents of oil spills, a Reuters report said.
Shell asked for a ruling on whether the Dutch court had jurisdiction over its Nigerian activities.
"The court has decided that it is competent, so we will be handling the case," a court spokeswoman told Reuters.
"The facts are connected and for reasons of efficiency the cases against Shell and Shell Nigeria will be handled jointly."
Shell will be able to enter a statement of reply to the claims on 10 February, the court spokeswoman said.
Shell told the news agency it was disappointed with the court's ruling.
Friends of the Earth Netherlands and the Nigerian plaintiffs, who are fishermen and farmers from the oil-rich Niger Delta, welcomed the decision to pursue the cases jointly.
"Now we can start the real lawsuit about whether Shell is responsible and how much they have to do to compensate the damage," a spokeswoman for the environmental group said.
