Oil giant Shell has agreed to pay a Nigerian community $111m (£80m) as a "full and final settlement" for an oil spill that occurred more than 50 years ago during the Biafran War.
The payment will be made to the Ejama-Ebubu community in the Niger Delta. Shell has maintained that the damage was caused by third parties, but a Nigerian court initially fined the company $41.36m in 2010. Shell launched unsuccessful appeals, and last year the Supreme Court ruled that with interest, the fine had increased more than tenfold, though Shell disputed this.
The case, initiated in 1991, saw Shell begin international arbitration earlier this year, claiming it was not given the opportunity to defend itself. Lawyer Lucius Nwosa, representing the community, told AFP: "They ran out of tricks and decided to come to terms. The decision is a vindication of the resoluteness of the community for justice."
Pollution from leaking oil pipelines remains a major issue in the Niger Delta. In a separate case earlier this year, a Dutch appeals court ruled that Shell's Nigerian branch was responsible for damage from leaks between 2004 and 2007, ordering compensation for farmers and installation of prevention equipment.
