The judgment is a fallout of years of litigation between the oil giant, Shell Nigeria Exploration and Production Company (SNEPCo) and victims of the 2011 Bonga oil spill which affected about 350 communities across the Niger-delta region.
While transporting crude from the company’s Float Production Storage and Offloading (FPSO) vessel at the Bonga deep offshore on December 20, 2011, the export line ruptured and spewed about 40,000 barrels (6.4 million litres) of crude oil into the sea.
According to the National Oil Spill Detection and Response Agency (NOSDRA), SNEPCo incurred a penalty of $5 billion as compensation for the damages done to natural resources and consequential loss of income by the affected shoreline communities.