On Wednesday, the Ogoni people of Rivers state received justice when a multi-national oil firm, Shell Petroleum Company, agreed to pay a huge sum of N45.9 billion to the people for the losses incurred during the oil disaster that decimated their towns at the Federal High Court in Abuja.
The Ogonis will receive the monetary recompense imposed by a Federal High Court ten years ago through their counsel, Chief Lucius Nwosu.
Shell Petroleum Company declared its decision to pay the money to Justice Ahmed Ramat Mohammed of the Federal High Court Abuja on Wednesday through its lawyer, Chief A. O Ejelamo, a Senior Advocate of Nigeria.
The senior counsel asked Justice Mohammed to issue an order allowing payment of the debt to be made through the Chief Registrar of the court into a bank account that would be set up for the purpose.
Justice Ahmed Ramat Mohammed of the Federal High Court in Abuja endorsed the final decision to pay the money.
Despite the oil company’s attempts to pay through the Chief Registrar of the court, it was eventually agreed that the money would be handed to the persons who had been wronged through their lawyer.
On June 14, 2010, Justice Ibrahim Buba of the Lagos division of the Federal High Court granted the amount to the Ogoni people in a suit filed by the Ogoni people.
The Ogonis, on the other hand, agreed to forego interest on the principal amount as a compromise during reconciliation
