The Bodo 2008 Oil Spill and Its Settlement

On 28th August 2008, a fault in the Trans-Niger pipeline caused a significant oil spill into Bodo Creek in Ogoniland. The pipeline is the responsibility of Shell. The spill which was due to equipment failure, resulted in tens of thousands of barrels of oil polluting the land and creek surrounding Bodo; killing the fish that people depend on for food and livelihood. Amnesty International and CEHRD investigated this spill and published several reports, including a detailed report in November 2011 (which also described a second spill at Bodo in December 2008). In 2011, after years of trying to get Shell to clean up and pay compensation, the people of Bodo began a court action in the United Kingdom (UK). A settlement has been reached by Shell and community members and compensation was paid early 2015 and to be followed by clean-up of the creek.

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