Shell Nigeria appeal dismissed in Bonny land dispute

Reuters

5 May 2011

Shell Nigeria appeal dismissed in Bonny land dispute

PORT HARCOURT, Nigeria (Reuters) - A court in Nigeria's oil-producing Niger Delta on Thursday dismissed an appeal by Royal Dutch Shell in a land rights dispute with community elders over its Bonny oil export terminal.

The court in Bori, in the southern state of Rivers, found in favour of local elders three years ago who disputed the right of the Shell Petroleum Development Company (SPDC) -- a joint venture with the Nigerian state -- to use the land at Bonny.

Shell filed an appeal against that ruling but a court in the state capital Port Harcourt dismissed it on Thursday.

"(The original judgement) said that Bonny communities are the rightful holders of the certificate of occupancy of the land currently being occupied by Shell as tenants," said Emmanuel Asido, one of the lawyers representing the communities.