Shell continue to say dem no do anything wrong for all dia waka in Nigeria since over 60 years
Big oil company Shell suppose face investigation on top dia part for bad-bad crimes wey di Nigerian military government commit inside di oil-producing Ogoniland region in di 1990s.
Dis na wetin report from human rights group Amnesty International dey find, after dem take eye check thousands of pages of witness statements, documents from di company, and even Amnesty International dia own records from dat period.
Na for inside statement na im Audrey Gaughran, di Director of Global Issues for Amnesty International say: “the evidence wey we don torchlight show say Shell continue to encourage di Nigerian military to deal with community protest, even when dem know di serious palava wey all dis one dey lead to – kill-kill, rape, torture, and burning of villages dem.”
She say Shell do dia own sotay even as military dey give am hot to di people, “Shell even provide di military with support, including transport, and at least one time dem pay one military commander wey everybodi know say im dey violate people human rights.”
Wetin dem want na say make di oil company face criminal investigation, wey be say somebodi fit enter prison on top di matter.
“We feel say no how wey Shell bin no get strong hand inside everything wey happen for Ogoniland in di 1990s, but we now believe say plenty things don dey ground wey reach for criminal investigation. To gather all dis plenty evidence together na im be di first step to bring Shell to justice,” Ms Gaughran talk.
She say: “we don begin dey prepare criminal file to submit to di relevant authorities, and our plan na to prosecute.”
Di group feel say dem get case because laws dey for world wey be say dem fit hold person or company criminally responsible for any crime if dem bin encourage, enable, exacerbate or facilitate am, even if no be dem do am direct.
For example, if person know of wetin fit happen if dia company behave for way wey fit contribute to crime, or show close connection to those wey dey commit di crimes, then dem fit face wetin be criminal liability.
Maria Saro-Wiwa, carry dis poster for London, on January 1996, after Nigeria government kill her husband Ken, and other MOSOP activists.
‘Dis na wetin Shell do’
For di 1990s Shell na very important oil company for Nigeria; most of dia oil work na for inside Niger-Delta region dem bin dey do am.
But no be everybodi for di area happy – some say di company dey spoil dia land and farm.
Amnesty International say on 29 October 1990, Shell ask for “security protection” from Nigeria dem Mobile Police for dia property inside Umuechem village, where peaceful protests bin dey happen. Over di next two days, dis Mobile Police attack di village with guns and grenades, and dem kill at least 80 people, then burn 595 houses – dem troway many of di dead bodi inside river wey dey near.
“From at least dis point, Shell ogas dem suppose understand wetin go happen if you ask security forces to put hand inside matter. But clear evidence dey say Shell continue to do dis same thing.”
One of di places where Shell dey make plenty money on top oil na Ogoniland, and na so Ogoni people begin protest. Dis we-no-go-gree na di Movement for the Survival of di Ogoni People (MOSOP) dey lead am. By January 1993 na im MOSOP take vex tell Shell say make dem no step leg inside di region. Dis one force di company to comot for some time, dem say na for security reason.
Di Amnesty International statement still say during dis Ogoni crisis, Shell and the Nigerian government dey waka like “business partners.”
“Dem dey do meeting well-well, to discuss how to protect things wey concern dem. While Shell dey try say dem no spoil environment reach as people dey accuse dem of, documents show say di senior ogas dem know say wetin dey make MOSOP vex, dey correct, and dem dey fear on top how di oil pipeline be.”
For example, for 1993, shortly after Shell comot Ogoniland, Shell continue to ask di Nigerian government to send army to Ogoniland to protect one new pipeline wey dem dey lay. This one bring shoot-shoot of 11 people inside Biara village on 30 April, and death of one man for Nonwa village on 4 May.
Less than one week after di shoot-shoot for Nonwa, Shell dia ogas do different meetings with senior government and security officials.
Paper from dis meetings show say, instead make dem talk say dem dey worried about how shoot-shoot of protesters wey no carry gun dey happen, Shell dey ask di government and security forces to allow dem to continue work inside Ogoniland – and dem dey offer “logistical” help in return.
Shell still put money for ground
Amnesty International say Shell also offer money. One of di company document show say on 3 March 1994, Shell pay more than $900 US dollars to di ISTF, one special unit government make to “restore order” in Ogoniland.
Dis na just ten days after die Unit commander order im men to shoot protestors outside Shell dia regional headquarters for Port Harcourt.
“Sometimes Shell play very direct role for di kill-kill wey happen – for example, dem go transport armed forces to break up protests, even when e dey clear wetin di result go be, Dis one mean say e clear say dem get hand for di bad-bad crimes wey follow,” na wetin Ms Gaughran talk.
All through di years, Shell don continue to deny say dem get hand inside all di fight-fight and killings wey happen on top dia work for Ogoni.
