Nigerian Law Issues Trial in Ogale/Bille Communities vs. Shell Commences at UK High Court

The long-awaited trial of Nigerian Law issues in the Ogale and Bille communities of the Niger Delta has commenced at the High Court of Justice in the United Kingdom. The claim is against the oil giant Shell.

The trial is about a determination of preliminary issues in Nigerian Law. A key focus of the case is the claim by the Bille and Ogale communities that repeated oil spills from Shell’s pipelines and infrastructure have led to catastrophic environmental damage, violating their fundamental rights to a clean and healthy environment under the Nigerian Constitution and the African Charter on Human and Peoples’ Rights.

Dr. Olisa Agbakoba SAN, Senior Partner at OAL, is the lead expert on constitutional and African Charter matters for the Ogale community, bringing his extensive legal expertise to the case.

Present at the UK High Court for the trial of preliminary issues on Nigerian Law were: Anirudh Mathur (Indian/UK Lawyer), Phillippa Kaufmann (King’s Counsel), King Bebe Okpabi (Ogale community leader), Yvonne Ezekiel (Managing Partner, OAL), and Dr. Olisa Agbakoba SAN (Senior Partner, OAL).