A key Shell-operated oil pipeline system in Nigeria continues to be hit by sabotage and crude theft, despite being shut down to prevent such events, with the latest incident in Rivers State causing a dozen deaths following an explosion.
More so than any other oil company, Shell is the bete noire of environmental campaigners both within and beyond Nigeria for its association with oil spills in the Niger Delta.
This demonisation has certainly been justified in many instances, as evidenced by local communities affected by legacy oil spills winning key court cases against the supermajor in Europe over the years.
