His Royal Majesty, King Bubaraye Dakolo, Agada IV of Ekpetiama Kingdom in Bayelsa State, has launched a landmark legal action against the Shell Petroleum Development Company of Nigeria, declaring the company’s planned divestment from onshore assets in the Niger Delta as unlawful and a threat to environmental justice.
Speaking at an international press conference in Abuja, King Dakolo decried decades of oil pollution, gas flaring, and environmental degradation in his kingdom and other parts of the Niger Delta. He accused Shell of attempting to sell off its assets and exit the region without addressing the massive ecological damage it has caused.
“This case is not just about me or my kingdom—it is about justice for the entire Niger Delta,” King Dakolo declared. “Shell wants to walk away, sell off its assets, and evade responsibility. We say no. We demand recognition, reparation, and restoration.”. 
The monarch referenced the findings of the Bayelsa State Oil and Environmental Commission (BSOEC), which documented some of the world’s worst oil pollution levels in the state. The report revealed widespread exposure to cancer-causing chemicals, unsafe water sources, toxic air quality, and a collapse of fishing and farming livelihoods due to oil contamination.
The legal suit, filed at the Federal High Court in Yenagoa and set for full hearing on July 22, 2025, lists Shell, the Minister of Petroleum Resources, the Nigerian Upstream Petroleum Regulatory Commission (NUPRC), and the Attorney General of the Federation as defendants. The plaintiffs are demanding a judicial declaration that Shell’s divestment violates Nigerian law, including the Petroleum Industry Act (2021) and constitutional protections for environmental and human rights.
Civil society organisations backing the case include the Health of Mother Earth Foundation (HOMEF), Social Action Nigeria, and the International Working Group on Petroleum Pollution and Just Transition in the Niger Delta.
Nnimmo Bassey, Executive Director of HOMEF, described the Niger Delta as a “brutalised sacrifice zone for fossil fuel colonialism,” and warned that Shell must not be allowed to escape justice.
“This lawsuit is not just about asserting rights—it is about resisting annihilation,” Bassey said. “Polluters must pay up, clean up, and restore what they have destroyed.” 
Lead counsel for the plaintiffs, Barrister Chuks Uguru, argued that Shell’s exit strategy violates environmental laws and international standards.
“Communities have endured the loss of livelihoods, health impacts, and irreversible ecological damage,” he stated. “We are asking the court to halt this divestment until Shell fulfills its obligations, including full remediation, proper decommissioning of facilities, and compensation to affected communities.”
Dr. Prince Edegbuo, Programme Manager of Social Action Nigeria, described the Ekpetiama Kingdom’s case as emblematic of a larger regional crisis and a rare opportunity to end systemic corporate impunity.
“We urge the judiciary, civil society, and the global community to treat this as a watershed moment. It’s time to put people over profit,” Edegbuo said. 
The case, Dakolo vs. Shell, is being closely watched by environmental and human rights groups both locally and internationally. It is seen as a potential turning point in the long-standing struggle for accountability, equity, and dignity in Nigeria’s oil-rich but impoverished Niger Delta.
LV