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Poverty prevents Nigerians from legal wins over mining corporations

Nigerians ‘too poor to sue over corporate abuse’, News 24 2012-02-22  Geneva – Victims of environmental disasters or other abuses inflicted by corporations in Nigeria are being denied justice as they are too poor or do not know how to seek legal recourse, jurists said on Wednesday.

“Poor rural victims of corporate human rights abuse are usually unaware of their legal rights and don’t have the financial resources to file court process, gather information and evidence, and afford legal services,” said Carlos Lopez, the International Commission of Jurists’ senior legal advisor in a report.

Even though a legal aid scheme exists, it “suffers from chronic underfunding”. “As a result, it fails to help those most in need to access judicial remedies,” added Lopez.

The problem is illustrated by the small numbers of litigations against corporations, despite several instances of serious pollution generated over the decades of oil or mineral extraction. Of the few that make it to court, even fewer manage to obtain rulings in favour of victims, noted the report…….

The UN environment agency had said that decades of extensive oil pollution in the Ogoniland region – which lies in the Niger Delta – may require the world’s biggest ever clean-up.  ….
http://www.news24.com/Africa/News/Nigerians-too-poor-to-sue-over-corporate-abuse-20120222

February 27, 2012 - Posted by Christina Macpherson | Legal, Nigeria