Ahead of Thursday’s start of the trial of Renaissance, an oil company to which Shell recently sold its stake in onshore oil extraction in Nigeria, for the damage caused by oil spills which impacted a large area of land belonging to the Bodo Community in the Niger Delta, Isa Sanusi, Amnesty International Nigeria Director said: 

“Almost two decades since oil spills by Shell’s then-Nigerian subsidiary SPDC devastated huge swathes of mangrove habitat, the Bodo community whose lives and livelihoods were – and continue to be – affected by the pollution, have a final chance for justice. 

“Despite Shell admitting responsibility for the pollution over a decade ago, this case aims to prove that their promised clean-up is far from complete and contamination continues to pose a serious health risk to tens of thousands of people. 

“It is shameful that it has taken so long and required legal action to get the companies responsible for this environmental destruction to face their responsibilities. We hope that this long-overdue trial will provide the affected Bodo communities the justice and remediation they have fought for and deserve. This is a historic moment that should serve as a reminder that a just transition to clean energy also means holding polluters to account for the harm they have caused in the past.”  

Background 

In 2008 there were two massive oil spills, caused by poorly maintained Shell pipelines, in a creek close to the Bodo community. Crude oil continuously leaked into the water for five weeks on each occasion. Shell settled with the community in 2014 but has yet to clean up Bodo’s devastated waterways despite a mediation process that started in 2015. 

The Court of Appeal heard the Shell Nigeria oil spill appeal on 8 October 2024. On 11 October 2024, the Court of Appeal ruled in favour of Nigerian communities over alleged pollution by oil giant Shell. On 6 December 2024, a full trial of Nigerian communities’ claims against Shell was given the go ahead. 

The Bodo community’s legal claim is being brought against Renaissance Africa Energy Company Limited (RAEC), which was formed after Shell divested from its Nigerian subsidiary Shell Petroleum Development Company of Nigeria Limited (SPDC) in March 2025. Ahead of the sale, Amnesty International called for Shell to be held accountable for the environmental damage they had caused in the Niger Delta. 

Over the past 20 years, Amnesty International has conducted extensive research and documented the human rights and environmental impact of Shell’s operations in the Niger Delta. In Amnesty’s 2023 report, Nigeria: Tainted Sale?, the organization recommended a series of safeguards to protect the rights of people potentially affected by Shell’s planned disposal of its oil interests in Nigeria.