Last month, a court ordered the company to stop flaring gas from oil wells in the country, which accounts for much of Africa's greenhouse gas emissions.
Shell has not halted the practice, so campaign groups have initiated proceedings for contempt of court, which can result in imprisonment. Shell has appealed against the initial judgement and denies it is in contempt.
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By Richard Black
Environment Correspondent, BBC News website |
Shell's behaviour seriously undermines respect for the rule of law that its operations rely on
Waste of resources
In November, the Nigerian Federal Court, sitting in Benin City, ruled on a case brought by environmental and social groups on behalf of the Iwherekan community of Delta State.
They argued that flaring creates significant local pollution and health problems, and is inherently wasteful of a resource which could bring income to local communities.
International environmental groups also argue it is a
significant source of greenhouse gas emissions, with flaring in Nigeria
perhaps the biggest source of emissions in Africa.
The Benin court ruled that gas flaring amounts to "...a gross violation of [the plaintiffs'] fundamental right to human life and dignity...", and that Shell and the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation had broken national law by failing to carry out an environmental impact assessment.
By failing to stop flaring, as ordered by the court, campaigners now argue Shell is in contempt, and have initiated proceedings in the Federal Court.
