Dutch court orders Shell Nigeria to compensate farmers

THE HAGUE, Netherlands (AP) — A Dutch appeals court has ordered energy giant Shell’s Nigerian subsidiary to compensate farmers in two villages for damage to their land caused by a pair of oil leaks more than 15 years ago. The decision on Friday was a victory for environmentalists and Nigerians whose land was polluted by oil. The amount of compensation will be established at a later date. The Hague Court of Appeal held Shell’s Nigerian subsidiary liable for the leaks after finding it could not be established “beyond a reasonable doubt” that saboteurs were to blame. Shell Petroleum Development Company of Nigeria expressed disappointment, saying it continued to believe that sabotage caused the spills in the villages of Oruma and Goi.