Amnesty International has hailed the start of a landmark trial over catastrophic oil spills in the Niger Delta as a “historic moment” for the Bodo community, which has fought nearly two decades for justice.
The trial opens today against Renaissance Africa Energy Company Limited (RAEC), the firm that took over Shell’s onshore oil operations in Nigeria after the oil giant divested in March 2025.
The case seeks accountability for environmental destruction caused by two major spills from poorly maintained Shell pipelines in 2008, which devastated vast mangrove habitats and crippled local livelihoods.