In a joint statement signed by prominent civil society advocates, Antonio Tricarico of Re:common, Nicholas Hildyard of Cornerhouse, and Olanrewaju Suraju of HEDA Resource Centre, concerns have been raised over the Federal Republic of Nigeria’s decision to abandon its civil claim against Eni and Shell in the controversial OPL 245 oil prospecting license case.
The statement expresses dismay at Nigeria’s withdrawal from the promising $1.1 billion civil claim in Italy’s Supreme Court, where the country sought damages from the oil multinationals for alleged corruption in the OPL 245 deal, which is said to have severely disadvantaged Nigeria.
Despite Eni and Shell, along with 13 other defendants, being acquitted of corruption charges in the First Instance court in Milan, the statement highlights international criticism of the verdict. The Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) issued an unprecedented statement, describing the acquittal as not…