Four communities and six families in Ogoni, River State, sued Shell Petroleum Development Company (SPDC), claiming N121billion damages over oil spills that destroyed their farm land in 2009. The Communities are , Kegbera Dere,Kpor, Keregbor, Biradee and Nkoo/Gbienga Nbe of Gokana local Goververnment of River State.
In the ten separate suits, FHC/PH/CS/133/2012 to FHC/PH/CS/142/2012, before Justice
Tigani Abubarkar of Federal High Court II sitting in Port Harcourt, the plaintiffs are seeking N121, 703,992,208.00 as compensation for severe impacts inflicted on them and the local population. The Communities are collectively claiming 388,400,188,208.00 while the families sought to be paid N33, 303,804,000.00 representing general damages to farm rights, shrines, sacred places and air pollution.
Apart from financial compensation, the litigants are also praying the court to grant them the following prayers; a declaration that the plaintiffs are under the African Charter on Human and Peoples Rights and that the defendant is under lawful duty and pursuant to the African Charter. The Ogonis are praying the court to make a declaration that the defendant is under lawful duty to provide alternative source of drinking water and to relocate the Bomu manifold and pipeline away from the dwelling houses of the plaintiff.