Court adjourns Bayelsa traditional ruler suit challenging Shell’s divestment, pollution

Nathan Tamarapreye, Yenagoa

The Yenagoa Division of the Federal High Court on Tuesday adjourned a suit challenging the divestment by Shell UK PLC from onshore and shallow water assets hitherto operated by Shell Petroleum Development Company (SPDC) to Oct 22.

When the case came up for hearing, counsel to the plaintiff, Dakolo, Mr Chuks Uhuru, informed the court, which had at the last sitting granted substituted service for some respondents, that all parties have been served with the court summons.

He explained that proof of service of summons on Shell UK PLC, the parent company to SPDC, has been filed with the court registry.

He explained that the defendants were still within the time frame to file a response to the suit.

The trial judge, Justice Ayo Emmanuel, adjourned the case until Oct. 22.

The plaintiff alleged that the divestment by Shell did not follow the stipulated guidelines in the Petroleum Industry Act (PIA) 2021.

The suit filed by King Bubaraye Dakolo, traditional ruler of Ekpetiama in Yenagoa Local Government Area of Bayelsa, is also seeking redress and remediation of cumulative pollution of his domain for 40 years.

Ekpetiama community is in the neighbourhood and part of host communities to the Gbarain-Ubie gas plant and Gbarain oilfields.

Listed as defendants in the suit No. FHC/YNG/CS/81/2025 are Shell Petroleum Development Company of Nigeria, Shell Petroleum N.V., Shell UK PLC.

Others are Attorney General of the Federation, The Nigerian Upstream Petroleum Regulatory Commission, Minister of Petroleum Resources and Renaissance Energy Africa Ltd.

It will be recalled that Renaissance Energy Africa, a consortium of indigenous oil firms on March 2025 acquired the onshore and shallow waters oil and gas assets hitherto operated by SPDC, following the divestments by Shell UK PLC, the parent company of SPDC.