Shell Petroleum Development Company of Nigeria (SPDCN) agreed on Wednesday to pay N45.9 billion in compensation to some Ogoni communities whose livelihoods were destroyed by oil spills a few years ago.
The monetary compensation, which was ordered by a Federal High Court in Lagos about 10 years ago, is to be paid to the affected communities through their lawyer, Lucius Nwosu (SAN).
On Wednesday, SPDCN’s lawyer, Aham Ejelamo (SAN), told a Federal High Court in Abuja that his client has decided to pay the money.
Ejelamo had previously asked the court to order that the money be paid into a bank account set up for the purpose by the court’s Chief Registrar.
The money was eventually agreed to be paid to the affected communities through their lawyer, Nwosu.
Justice Ahmed Mohammed, the judge, then issued an order approving SDPCN’s payment.
On June 14, 2010, Justice Ibrahim Buba (then of the Federal High Court in Lagos) awarded the money as damages against SPDCN in favor of the Ogoni communities in a suit brought by community representatives led by Chief Isaac Osaro Agbara and nine others.
The plaintiffs were said to have agreed to waive interest on the principal judgment sum as a concession reached during the final reconciliatory agreement talks.
