The monarch appeared before the Federal High Court in Yenagoa on Friday, accusing Shell of attempting to divest from the region without first fulfilling its environmental and social responsibilities. 

A traditional ruler in Bayelsa State, His Majesty Bubaraye Dakolo of the Ekpetiama Kingdom, has taken oil giant, Shell, to court, demanding $12 billion in compensation for decades of environmental damage allegedly caused by the company's operations in Nigeria’s oil-rich Niger Delta.

The monarch appeared before the Federal High Court in Yenagoa on Friday, accusing Shell of attempting to divest from the region without first fulfilling its environmental and social responsibilities. 

The legal action follows Shell’s announcement of a $2.4 billion divestment from onshore Nigerian oil assets as it pivots to offshore operations.

Dakolo, backed by a coalition of civil society groups is calling for reparations to cover environmental cleanup, decommissioning of outdated infrastructure, and compensation for local communities devastated by oil spills, gas flaring, and the loss of livelihoods due to pollution.

“Shell wants to leave behind a mess that has ruined our rivers, farmlands, and livelihoods,” Dakolo said in a statement. 

“We will not accept abandonment.”

The monarch alleged that Shell’s decades-long operations have rendered rivers toxic, forests barren, and agricultural lands infertile, causing severe hardships for fishing and farming communities in the Ekpetiama Kingdom and the wider Niger Delta.

The lawsuit also lists Nigeria’s Minister of Petroleum Resources, the Attorney General of the Federation, and the Nigerian Upstream Petroleum Regulatory Commission as co-defendants. 

It seeks to halt Shell’s asset transfer until a comprehensive agreement is reached on environmental remediation and community compensation.

Isaac Asume Osuoka, Director of Social Action Nigeria, said Shell must not be allowed to “exit with profit, leaving behind toxic air, poisoned water, and broken communities.”

Shell has not issued an official response to the suit. 

The oil giant has previously maintained that it adheres to global environmental standards and attributes many oil spills in the Niger Delta to sabotage and pipeline vandalism by oil thieves.

The case has been adjourned to July 22, 2025.

The Niger Delta, which accounts for the bulk of Nigeria’s oil production, has long been plagued by environmental degradation and socio-economic unrest linked to oil exploration.