Press Release
The Environmental Rights Action/ Friends of the Earth, Nigeria has commended a San Francisco, United States District Court ruling that Chevron will stand trial for complicity over cases of human rights abuses, torture and the May 28, 1998 murder of innocent protesters on Parabe Platform in Ilaje area of Ondo State .
In a statement issued yesterday, ERA said the District Court ruling on Wednesday (August 15,2007) has further raised the hope that Chevron will be
brought to justice over its many atrocities in the Niger Delta particularly
as regards the Parabe platform incident. In June 1998, the Concerned Ilaje Citizen (CIC) in a bid to protect their
environment and secure better deal from their natural resources wrote to
Chevron demanding: restoration of the Ilaje environment to its natural
state, employment of Ilaje youths, citing of operational office or tank farm
in Ilaje, construction of embankment to check sea incursion, provision of
basic amenities in ilaje, increase in the number of scholarship to Ilaje
youths and payment of fishing rights to the elderly. Chevron ignored all the demands hiding under spurious claims. Left with no
option, about 121 Ilaje youths on May 1998 embarked on peaceful protests
at Chevrons Parabe platform to seek dialogue and to challenge the oil
company's reckless degradation of the environments and for ignoring earlier
pleas to clean up the environment. On May 28, 1998, soldiers on the invitation of Chevron and flying the
company's helicopters swooped on the hapless protesters killing two on the
spot, while 30 others were critically injured. Eleven other youths were
arrested and kept in military cells for 26 days. While in the cell, the
youths were also routinely tortured .
In January 1999, Opia and Ikeyan villages of Delta state were razed in
circumstances linkling the oil giant. The Parabe Platform incident and
incidents in Opia and Ikeyan communities have been subject of a suit filled
in 1999 at the US court by Messrs Larry Bowoto, Bola Oyibo (late), Bassey
Jeje and Sunday Johnbul on behalf of the communities.
"For about eight years, The Ilaje community people have endured long years
of legal roadblocks by Chevron and her spin doctors. The wounds of the
community people remain open and each stumbling block raised by Chevron has
been more salt rubbed in the open wounds. We are happy that now the
communities are inching closer to justice", ERA Executive Director Said.
"For too long, oil companies have trampled upon the rights of our people and
gotten away with murder. This judgment signals an end to that regime", he
added
In the ruling, Judge Susan Illston had stated that there is overwhelming
evidence that " CNL ( Chevron Nigeria Limited ) personnel were directly
involved in the attacks;CNL transported the GSF (Nigerian security forces),
CNL paid the GSF; and CNL knew that GSF were prone to use excessive force."
Akinbode Oluwafemi
Programme Manager
ERA/FOEN
08060535681 |
