Nigeria: Shell pays $15.5m to settle Saro–Wiwa suit

Date: 8 Jun 2009

Royal Dutch Shell has agreed to pay $15.5m to conclude lawsuits over political executions in Nigeria, including the killing of the environmental protester Ken Saro–Wiwa by the Nigerian government. The plaintiffs had argued that the company was implicated in the killings.

The plaintiffs in the case have said that $5m from the settlement would go into a trust for the benefit of the Ogoni people, with the remainder going towards the families and lawyers fees.

Shell said that the settlement did not mean that the company was admitting involvement or liability, but it felt that it would be better to focus on providing a future for the Ogoni people and to promote peace and stability in the region. Unrest in the area has seen frequent damage to the company's oil interests from attacks.

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