, a new report by Milieudefensie and Friends of the Earth Nigeria, verified by an independent journalist, has said.
“Residents of Ikarama in the Niger Delta not only confirm that Shell employees hire residents to perpetrate spills, but also claim that they have approached everyone in the community. Most people are sensitive to the issue because their fields and fishponds are often too polluted by oil to earn a living.”
“Shell employees, residents, and cleanup companies are working together. The employee points out where and when a spill occurs. Young people usually perpetrate spills. Then a Shell employee hires a cleanup company from among the perpetrator’s acquaintances and afterward, they divide the profit among themselves. At least 30 oil spills have been recorded in the Ikarama area in the past 10 years,” the statement added.
The recommendations of the report highlight how effective the protection of the pipelines by young people has been in the past. Friends of the Earth Netherlands, also wants Shell to compensate the host community for the pollution they had caused.