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World Service,3 mins

Ogoni nine: Widow will continue to fight after Shell case lost

Newshour

Available for over a year

A group of Nigerian widows who accused Shell of being jointly responsible for the deaths of their husbands have lost their case. The dead husbands were part of a group known as the Ogoni nine that also included the writer Ken Saro-Wiwa. The Ogoni nine campaigned against pollution of the Niger Delta that they said was due to oil exploration in the area. In 1995, there was outrage around the world when they were executed by Nigerian authorities, accused of murdering local officials. The court said there wasn't enough evidence to prove the accusation that Shell had been involved in bribing witnesses. Esther Kiobel is one of the widows. She says that despite the verdict, she's glad the public are hearing about Shell's history in the Niger Delta and that she will continue to campaign. She believes the court reached its verdict without considering sufficient evidence and may appeal. "There is, on the internet, all over the world, what Shell did in the Niger Delta, and that is what matters to me. The struggle still continues. I'm still in high spirits for fighting for the cause, making sure my husband's and innocent people's blood is exonerated." Photo: Esther Kiobel (L) and Victoria Bera (R) are seen after the court rejected their case on March 23, 2022 in The Hague, Netherlands Credit: Getty Images

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