Rivers gov’t takes over Shell’s Kidney Island

The Rivers State Government has secured the enforcement of the acquisition of 45 per cent equity in Oil Mining Lease (OML) 11 and Kidney Island in Port Harcourt.

Kidney Island was once used as Shell Petroleum Development Company (SPDC) operational base in Port Harcourt.

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The Supreme Court had in November 2020 reaffirmed Rivers State Government acquisition of SPDC interest in OML 11 and the facility when it dismissed the oil firm suit, which sought to set aside an earlier judgment.

The Rivers State Attorney General and Commissioner for Justice, Prof. Zaccheus Adangor, while addressing journalists after sealing off Kidney Island said in 2017, the people of Ejama-Ebubu secured a judgement against SPDC and its subsidiaries in the sum of N57.7 billion for the damages done to their environment arising from the oil spill from the Trans-Niger pipeline.

He said after the judgement, Shell refused to pay the judgement sum. “So we are here to execute the judgement of the High Court of Rivers State and secure the enforcement of the interest acquired by the Rivers State Government.”

However, Shell in a statement dismissed the takeover of Kidney Island asset by the Rivers State Government saying that the matter is still ongoing at the Court of Appeal sitting in Port Harcourt.

It noted that under the Nigerian Petroleum Act, “any acquisition or assignment of interests in a licence or lease would require the consent of the Minister of Petroleum. No such consent has been given in the case of the purported acquisition by the Rivers State Government.”