The court postponed the lawsuit of Bayelsa Monarch who challenged Shell’s divestment, pollution until July 22

The Federal High Court, Yenagoa, on Friday, postponed a lawsuit that challenged the divestment by the Shell PLC in the UK from land and shallow water assets which until now were operated by Shell Petroleum Development Company (SPDC) until July 22.

The Plaintiff accused that the divestment by Shell did not follow the guidelines specified in the 2021 Oil Industry Law (PIA).

The lawsuit filed by the Raja Bubaraye Dakolo, an Ekpetirtan traditional ruler in the Yenagoa Regional Government in Bayelsa, also sought compensation and remediation of the cumulative pollution of his domain for 40 years.

The Ekpetiama community is in the environment and part of the host community to the Gbarain-Ubie gas factory and the Gbarain oil field.

When this case emerged to be mentioned, the legal counsel to the Plaintiff, Mr. Chuks Uhuru, creating an ex parte application to give his client leave to serve court calls at Shell UK, SPDC parent company, through a replaced manner.

Also Read: Despite the Initial Rejection, FG approved the Shell divestment agreement worth $ 1.3 billion

Judge Ayo Emmanuel granted the application to serve the defendants domiciled in England and the Netherlands through replaced methods.

The judge postponed this case until July 22 for the start of the trial.

Registered as the defendant in the lawsuit No. FHC/YNG/CS/81/2025, are SDPC, Shell Petroleum NV, Shell Uk

Others are the Attorney General Federation, the Nigerian Upstream Oil Regulation Commission (NUPRC), the Minister of Oil Resources, and the Renaissance Energy Africa Ltd.

Renaissance Energy Africa, a consortium of original oil companies in March 2025 acquired oil and shallow oil and shallow gas assets which until now operated by SPDC, followed the divestment by the Shell UK PLC, the SPDC parent company.