News Release: MOSOP Stands With Ogoni Families As they Sue Shell In The Hague

The Movement for the Survival of the Ogoni People (MOSOP) stands in solidarity with the Ogonis and some families of the Ogoni nine that have dragged Shell to court in The Hague over atrocities committed against our people in the 1990s.


The District Court of The Hague, Netherlands will on Tuesday, February 12, 2019 in Suit Number C/09/540872/HAZA 17/1048 commence hearing in the case brought against Royal Dutch Shell Plc, Shell Petroleum N.V., Shell Transport and Trading Company Ltd and Shell Petroleum Development Company of Nigeria Ltd. by Esther Kiobel, Victoria Bera, Blessing Kem Nordu-Eawo and Charity Paul-Levula whose husbands were members of the Ogoni nine executed in 1995 after a bogus trial.

The families are seeking a public apology and compensation over the killing of their husbands and bread-winners for peacefully and nonviolently demanding for environmental and social justice for the Ogoni people. Other heroes who were also killed with their husbands include Ken Saro-Wiwa, Saturday Dobee, Daniel Gbooko, Felix Nuate and John Kpuinee.

Two of the widows, Esther Kiobel and Victoria Bera will be present at the district court in the Hague on February 12 and have the opportunity to testify against Shell while Charity Paul-Levula and Blessing Kem Nordu-Eawo would be absent in court as the Netherlands Embassy failed to grant them visas to attend the hearing, a development the families blamed on Shell’s interference.

MOSOP is grateful to Amnesty International and other organizations supporting these families as they sue Shell to account for its role in the killing of a generation of Ogoni leaders and over 3,000 other unsung heroes in the 1990s. MOSOP hereby calls on the Embassy of the Kingdom of Netherlands in Nigeria to kindly issue visas to the families involved in this case to enable them attend the next court setting in The Hague where they hope to get justice.

In consonance with the last words of Ken Saro-Wiwa in 1995 that “…we all stand before history. I and my colleagues are not the only ones on trial. Shell is here on trial and it is as well that it is represented by counsel said to be holding a watching brief….”, MOSOP welcomes Shell to trial in the Hague over its atrocities in Ogoniland.

Signed;

Fyneface Dumnamene Fyneface,
Spokesman/Publicity Secretary,
MOSOP,