(DDM) – Amnesty International has declared that Shell cannot walk away from decades of oil pollution in the Niger Delta without proper accountability.
Diaspora Digital Media (DDM) gathered that the global rights group’s statement followed Shell’s recent sale of its Nigerian onshore subsidiary.
Amnesty argued that divestment does not erase the company’s legal, moral, or environmental responsibilities to the communities devastated by oil spills.
Amnesty Nigeria’s Director, Isa Sanusi, emphasized that victims of pollution must receive compensation for their suffering and the loss of livelihoods.
He further insisted that contaminated farmlands, rivers, and villages across the Niger Delta must be fully remediated before Shell exits.
The organization referenced a joint letter sent by seven United Nations Special Rapporteurs earlier this year.
The UN experts linked repeated oil spills to serious human rights violations spanning life, health, safe water, food, housing, and cultural survival.
They argued that decades of neglect by multinational oil firms have inflicted widespread poverty and displacement on host communities.
Amnesty warned that Nigeria risks becoming a dangerous precedent in what it called “irresponsible divestment” by oil corporations.
The group fears that companies may simply offload assets while abandoning communities to a toxic legacy.
Sanusi cautioned that such practices undermine both environmental justice and international human rights law.
He called on the Nigerian government to enforce strong regulatory measures to ensure accountability during all divestment processes.
He stressed that divestment must include binding cleanup obligations, transparent monitoring, and legal safeguards for host communities.
Experts note that Shell has operated in Nigeria for over six decades, facing repeated lawsuits over environmental degradation.
In 2021, a Dutch court ordered the oil giant to pay compensation to farmers in Rivers State affected by spills.
Communities in Ogoniland and elsewhere continue to report contamination despite years of promises to restore the environment.
Environmental activists argue that the Niger Delta remains one of the most polluted regions on earth due to oil extraction.
Fishermen, farmers, and women’s groups in Bayelsa, Rivers, and Delta States have long demanded justice for destroyed ecosystems.
Analysts say the divestment debate underscores wider concerns about transparency in Nigeria’s oil sector reforms.
Civil society organizations insist that cleanup and compensation must precede any new ownership transfers in the industry.
Amnesty International concluded that only responsible divestment anchored on justice can prevent further violations in the Niger Delta.
For many residents, the demand is simple: Shell must clean up its mess before leaving.
