the News

by Marco Simons

A UNITED States (U.S.) District Court yesterday rejected Chevron Corporation’s final bid to avoid prosecution over alleged involvement in brutal attacks on Nigerian villagers.
Nine Nigerian plaintiffs are suing Chevron in a federal court in San Francisco for deaths and other abuses in two incidents in 1998 and 1999, in which the Nigerian military and Police, paid by Chevron and using Chevron helicopters and boats, shot and tortured protestors and destroyed two villages allegedly associated with opposition to Chevron’s oil activities in the desperately poor Niger Delta.
The plaintiffs assert claims ranging from torture to wrongful death.
The Judge, Susan Illston, found “evidence that CNL (Chevron Nigeria Limited) personnel were directly involved in the attacks; CNL transported the GSF (Nigerian government security forces), CNL paid the GSF; and CNL knew that GSF were prone to use excessive force,” concluding that the evidence would allow a jury to find not only that Chevron knew the attacks would happen and assisted in them, but also that it actually agreed to the military’s plan.
“We’re pleased that our clients will finally get justice for Chevron’s crimes,” said plaintiffs’ counsel, Theresa Traber, partner at Traber & Voorhees. (more…)