Simi Jalawasho
Appearances
Global News Podcast
Sudan fighters accused of storming famine-hit camp
It's been seven decades since oil was discovered in southern Nigeria. Now, formerly fertile landscapes appear as toxic wasteland. The family of 50-year-old mother of six, Paulina Abepepe, survived on fishing for generations until a decade ago.
Global News Podcast
Sudan fighters accused of storming famine-hit camp
37-year-old Grace Aldi lives in Ongale with her partner and two-year-old. Oil spills have contaminated the only borehole they have access to, meaning they must buy clean water for 4,500 naira or three US dollars a day. The average wage here is less than eight.
Global News Podcast
Sudan fighters accused of storming famine-hit camp
In 2011, the UN found people were drinking water contaminated with a known carcinogen at levels over 900 times above an international guideline. It led to the formation of a new cleanup agency called Hyprep, run by the Nigerian government and part-funded by oil companies, including Shell. The project was to take 30 years to complete.
Global News Podcast
Sudan fighters accused of storming famine-hit camp
Now, the BBC can reveal the $1 billion cleanup operation has been beset with allegations of collusion and fraud. A whistleblower who worked on the scheme and whose identity we're protecting because they fear reprisals told us the operation is a con to siphon money and was widely known by the government and Shell to be failing.
Global News Podcast
Sudan fighters accused of storming famine-hit camp
The BBC has seen internal documents suggesting representatives of Shell and of the Nigerian government were warned over years of alleged failings at the agency, including the awarding of contracts to incompetent companies and even of falsified test results.
Global News Podcast
Sudan fighters accused of storming famine-hit camp
In a meeting with the British High Commissioner to Nigeria last year, minutes of which have been obtained under Freedom of Information laws, Shell representatives acknowledged the institutional challenges of the cleanup agency and the chance of the refusal of future funding towards it.
Global News Podcast
Sudan fighters accused of storming famine-hit camp
When we asked Shell whether it knew of alleged failings at High Prep, the company told us, High Prep is an agency established and overseen by the federal government of Nigeria, with its governing council largely made up of senior ministers and government officials, along with five representatives of communities and NGOs and a single Shell representative.
Global News Podcast
Sudan fighters accused of storming famine-hit camp
The BBC also visited areas where the Nigerian government and Shell have repeated claims have been cleaned up. It did not take long for us to see oil seep from the ground and float on the water.
Global News Podcast
Sudan fighters accused of storming famine-hit camp
Shell told the BBC, the operating environment in the Niger Delta remains challenging because of the huge scale of illegal activities such as oil theft. We take extensive steps to prevent this activity and the spills it causes. When spills do happen from our facilities, we clean up and remediate regardless of the cause. If it's an operational spill, we also compensate people and communities.
Global News Podcast
Sudan fighters accused of storming famine-hit camp
The BBC has asked High Prep and the Nigerian government to comment on the allegations, but has received no response. This week, two Nigerian communities will bring a case against Shell at a London High Court. The company is selling its onshore facilities in Nigeria, but questions over its conduct and legacy here remain.