When a settlement was announced in the landmark Wiwa v Shell case, Shell stated that it ‘had no part in the violence that took place’ , and denied any responsibility for the military crack downs in Ogoniland that led to the execution of Ken Saro-Wiwa and his colleagues. This evening, the company’s denial of liability for human rights abuses came under fresh scrutiny.
The long-standing efforts of the plaintiff’s legal team has established a damning body of evidence against Shell, much of it from formerly confidential company memos. The evidence remains largely unpublished, but is accessible via public court records.
Research conducted by PLATFORM and Channel 4 into this documentary evidence exposes Shell’s intimate relationship with the military and shows how the alliance of the Nigerian regime and Shell used force to keep the Ogoni ‘under control’. For the first time, we bring you the documents that Shell does not want you knowing about.
PART ONE:
PART TWO:
For 14 years, Shell has denied responsibility for the violence and to this day, the company only admits to having paid field allowances to the military on two occaisions. According to Shell, neither of these occaisions resulted in human rights abuses.
These documents reveal that Shell lied to its staff, its shareholders, the general public and even the then Prime Minister, John Major over the nature of their partnership with and support of the Nigerian military.
How much longer can the company deny its critical role in the murder, torture and repression of Ogoni people? The research into the case against Shell will continue to shed new light on Shell’s complicity, reenforcing global efforts to hold Shell accountable in the court of public opinion.