NOTE: The single case filed by 8 communities in June 2005 (described below) was subsequently withdrawn and replaced by a number of cases brought by individual communities in the Federal High Court located within their relevant State. The cases are as follows, the leading case listed first (surname of individual litigant/community name, flaring company, State, Federal High Court branch): Gbemre/Iwherekan, Shell, Delta, Benin City;Okpara/Rumuekpe, Shell, Rivers, Port Harcourt; Afagha/Imiringi, Shell, Bayelsa, Yenegoa; Dickson/Gbarain, Shell, Bayelsa, Yenegoa; Ibegwura/Eremah, Total, Rivers, Port Harcourt; Egbe/Akala-Olu, Agip, Rivers, Port Harcourt; Igotefima/Idama, Chevron, Rivers, Port Harcourt.

On Monday, 20th June 2005, communities from across the Niger Delta filed a case in the Federal High Court of Nigeria against the Shell, ExxonMobil, ChevronTexaco, TotalFinaElf and Agip joint venture companies, the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation, and the Nigerian government, to stop gas flaring.

Nigeria is the world's biggest gas flarer, and the practice has contributed more greenhouse gas emissions than all other sources in sub-Saharan Africa combined, as well as poisoning localities with their toxic cocktail. The practice costs Nigeria about US$2.5 billion annually, while 66% of its population live on less than US$1 a day. In 2004, Shell lived on about US$50 million a day, ExxonMobil on about US$69 million a day, ChevronTexaco on about US$36 million, TotalFinaElf on about US$31 million and Agip on about US$15 million.

The communities argue human rights violations, combined with breaches of Nigerian gas flaring regulations.

To coincide with the case, the Climate Justice Programme has today jointly published with Environmental Rights Action/Friends of the Earth Nigeria (www.eraction.org) a 36-page report on the issue.

For more information

Read the press release, with photo links and fact sheet, in English and French

Download the filed court documents for the case.

Download the report, 'Gas Flaring in Nigeria: A Human Rights, Environmental and Economic Monstrosity'.

Read an HTML version of that report.

Read a French translation of the Executive Summary of that report.

Read an Italian translation of the Executive Summary of that report.

See the footage and read the testimony of film-maker Janos Jersch here.

See a photo gallery.