Yenagoa, Bayelsa State – The International Society for Social Justice and Human Rights (ISSJHR) has issued a dire warning, accusing Shell Petroleum Development Company (SPDC) of perpetrating “environmental genocide and economic exploitation” against the Biseni clan in Yenagoa Local Government Area of Bayelsa State. In a press release dated June 19, 2025, ISSJHR Chancellor Dr. Omenazu Jackson highlighted the stark paradox of Biseni: a community immensely rich in oil resources yet suffering from severe poverty, chronic pain, and extensive pollution.
ISSJHR asserts that SPDC, through its operations across more than 18 oil wells within Biseni territory since 1976, has extracted tens of millions of barrels of crude oil, generating billions in revenue while leaving the community devastated.
The Stark Numbers and Devastating Impact:
Based on publicly available energy reports cited by ISSJHR:
- The Benisede (Biseni) oil field has been active since 1976.
- In 2015 alone, approximately 3.37 million barrels were extracted, averaging 9,233 barrels per day.
- Cumulatively, SPDC has extracted tens of millions of barrels from Biseni.
- At an average crude oil price of $75 per barrel, this translates to over $2.5 billion in revenues over the last decade alone.
- Remaining recoverable reserves are estimated at 5.33 million barrels, valued at over $400 million.
Despite these vast profits, ISSJHR states that the Biseni people lack basic amenities, enduring a severe absence of potable water, functional hospitals, and motorable roads. They also report receiving no compensation commensurate with the magnitude of environmental destruction.
Ecological Collapse and Legal Violations:
The report details how oil exploration activities have systematically altered Biseni’s hydrological and ecological balance. Oil pipelines and artificial canals have allegedly blocked or diverted natural waterways, leading to devastating seasonal flooding that destroys homes, displaces families, and obliterates farmlands. Wastewater discharges and spill-over effects have rendered subsistence farming and fishing virtually impossible. ISSJHR unequivocally states, “The flooding is not a natural disaster—it is a man-made consequence of greed.”
ISSJHR further alleges that SPDC’s environmental conduct in Biseni flagrantly violates both local and international environmental protection laws. These include the Stockholm Declaration (1972) and the African Charter on Human and Peoples’ Rights (Article 24), which enshrine the right to a clean environment, as well as Nigerian statutes such as Section 20 of the 1999 Constitution, the Environmental Impact Assessment Act, the NOSDRA Act 2006, and the Harmful Waste Act.
“Despite these laws, the institutions mandated to enforce them—NOSDRA, Federal Ministry of Environment, and state environmental agencies—have become complicit, compromised, or negligent. They are either silent partners to corporate impunity or passive enablers of the suffering,” the statement charged.
Demands for Environmental Justice and Reparations:
The ISSJHR asserts that the people of Biseni are protected by tort law principles, including negligence, nuisance, and strict liability, offering pathways for compensatory damages, restitution orders for clean-up, injunctions to halt destructive operations, and class action lawsuits. However, these legal rights remain “meaningless without access to legal aid, independent judiciary, and political will.”
In response to these grave concerns, ISSJHR has issued a series of demands:
- The Nigerian government must declare Biseni a zone of ecological emergency and enforce immediate remediation by SPDC.
- The National Assembly must hold public hearings on corporate environmental crimes in the Niger Delta.
- SPDC must establish an Environmental Justice and Reparations Fund for Biseni and all affected communities.
- NOSDRA and the Federal Ministry of Environment must release and act upon all spill reports related to Biseni since 2000.
- The international community and environmental watchdogs must launch independent inquiries into SPDC’s operations in the region.
- Affected communities must be empowered to seek justice in both Nigerian courts and international tribunals.
Dr. Jackson concluded with a poignant call to action: “How can a community that generated over $2.5 billion in crude oil wealth live in such heartbreaking deprivation? How long shall the cries of the Biseni people echo unheard in the hallways of power?… This is not just a local crisis. It is a global shame and a crime against humanity. The time for justice is now. Let the world hear the cries of Biseni.”
Below is a copy of the press release sighted by Africa Update:
PRESS RELEASE
19th June 2025
NIGERIA: SPDC ENVIRONMENTAL CRIMES IN THE NIGER DELTA — THE TEARS OF BISENI PEOPLE AND THE CALL FOR ENVIRONMENTAL JUSTICE
“Where there’s environmental injustice, there’s an economic crime against humanity.”
The International Society for Social Justice and Human Rights (ISSJHR) again raises a moral, legal, and humanitarian alarm over the environmental genocide and economic exploitation faced by the people of the Biseni clan in Yenagoa Local Government Area of Bayelsa State—a community rich in oil but drenched in poverty, pain, and pollution.
The multinational oil giant Shell Petroleum Development Company (SPDC), through its operations in over 18 oil wells within the Biseni territory, has extracted and exported millions of barrels of crude oil, turning the soil of Biseni into a dollar machine for corporate profiteers.
Crude Oil Extraction:
The Numbers and the Value
Based on publicly available energy reports:
The Benisede (Biseni) oil field has been producing crude oil since 1976.
In 2015 alone, it extracted approximately 3.37 million barrels, averaging 9,233 barrels per day.
Cumulatively, SPDC has extracted tens of millions of barrels from Biseni.
At an average crude oil price of $75 per barrel, this translates to over $2.5 billion in revenues over the last decade alone.
Remaining recoverable reserves in the field are estimated at 5.33 million barrels, valued at over $400 million.
And yet, the Biseni people have no potable water, no functional hospital, no motorable roads, and no compensation commensurate with the magnitude of environmental destruction they endure.
Flooding and Ecological Collapse
Oil exploration has caused systematic alteration of Biseni’s hydrological and ecological balance. Crisscrossed by oil pipelines and artificial canals, natural waterways are blocked or diverted, leading to seasonal flooding that destroys homes, displaces families, and wipes out farmlands. Wastewater discharges and spill-over effects have made subsistence farming and fishing nearly impossible. The flooding is not a natural disaster—it is a man-made consequence of greed.
Legal Violations and Conspiracies of Silence
SPDC’s environmental conduct in Biseni blatantly violates local and international environmental protection laws, including:
International Laws:
The Stockholm Declaration (1972): Right to a clean and dignified environment.
The African Charter on Human and Peoples’ Rights (Article 24): Environmental rights are human rights.
The Basel Convention: Prohibits harmful waste dumping without accountability.
Nigerian Laws:
Section 20 of the 1999 Constitution: Mandates the state to protect and improve the environment.
Environmental Impact Assessment Act (EIA Act): Demands rigorous environmental assessments before operations.
NOSDRA Act 2006: Provides legal instruments for preventing and responding to oil spills.
Harmful Waste Act: Criminalizes unauthorized hazardous waste disposal.
Despite these laws, the institutions mandated to enforce them—NOSDRA, Federal Ministry of Environment, and state environmental agencies—have become complicit, compromised, or negligent. They are either silent partners to corporate impunity or passive enablers of the suffering.
Legal Remedies and the Path Forward
The people of Biseni are not helpless. They are protected by tort law principles including:
Negligence: For failure to exercise due care.
Nuisance: For environmental interference.
Strict Liability: For engaging in inherently dangerous operations like oil drilling.
Available Remedies:
Compensatory Damages: For health, property, and economic loss.
Restitution Orders: For clean-up and ecological restoration.
Injunctions: To halt ongoing destructive operations.
Class Action Lawsuits: For collective redress and reparations.
But these legal rights are meaningless without access to legal aid, independent judiciary, and political will.
Our Demands
The Nigerian government must declare Biseni a zone of ecological emergency and enforce immediate remediation by SPDC.
The National Assembly must hold public hearings on corporate environmental crimes in the Niger Delta.
SPDC must establish an Environmental Justice and Reparations Fund for Biseni and affected communities.
NOSDRA and the Ministry of Environment must release and act upon all spill reports related to Biseni since 2000.
The international community and environmental watchdogs must open independent inquiries into SPDC’s operations in the region.
Affected communities must be empowered to seek justice in both Nigerian courts and international tribunals.
Conclusion
How can a community that generated over $2.5 billion in crude oil wealth live in such heartbreaking deprivation? How long shall the cries of the Biseni people echo unheard in the hallways of power?
Every spill, every flood, every child drinking poisoned water in Biseni is evidence of economic injustice wrapped in environmental warfare. This is not just a local crisis. It is a global shame and a crime against humanity.
The time for justice is now.
Let the world hear the cries of Biseni.
Dr. Omenazu Jackson
Chancellor, International Society for Social Justice and Human Rights (ISSJHR) issjhr.justice@yahoo.com
