Genocide: Umuechem Seeks Compensation After 27yrs -As Organisation Drags SPDC, Others To Int’l Court

Worried by the lack of commitment by the Nigeria Police Force and the Shell Petroleum Development Company of Nigeria (SPDC) to pay compensation after 27 years of genocide, the people of Umuechem in Etche Local Government Area of Rivers State have called for immediate compensation for the killings of over 200 indigenes, including the paramount ruler of the community in 1990 by men of the Nigeria Mobile Police.
The Paramount Ruler of Umuechem Community, Eze Sampson Imo made the call during the 27th anniversary of the genocide by the people of the area held at the community’s Town Square, last Wednesday.
Sampson stated that the people were killed by the mobile police officers who came to the community on the invitation of SPDC following agitations by the people for their due rights.
According to him, the Umuechem people were only making some demands to Shell on how to improve their living conditions, adding that it was in the wake of the demand that Shell invited mobile policemen, who came and killed over 200 people in the community.
He averred that properties worth millions of Naira were lost during the massacre, adding that since then, nothing has been done in the community to assuage the sufferings of the people.
“The state government set up an investigative panel, which recommended that SPDC pay compensation to Umuechem community for the damages and loss of lives. Since then, nothing has been done to ameliorate our sufferings”, he added.
The traditional ruler used the occasion to call on the state and the Federal Government as well as the international community to prevail on the matter so as to fast- track the compensation due the community.
Also speaking, Project Officer, Social Development Integrated Centre, Mr. Prince Ekpere disclosed that the organization will soon drag SPDC to International Criminal Court at The Hague, Switzerland for prosecution.
According to him, the organisation had done independent investigation on the matter and discovered that more than 200 people were killed during the crisis, adding that it was disheartening that after 27 years, none of the actors has paid adequate compensation to the community.
He promised that the group would not abandon the struggle until the due compensation is paid to the community.