This poverty, and the shocking pollution throughout the region drove the Ogoni to demand environmental justice. All of these would be considered reasonable and proper requests for a community in the US or Europe to make - things like the cleanup of oil spills, burial of pipelines, or the construction of educational and health facilities. All of these requests fell on deaf ears. Shell withdrew most of their operations, but in their place the Nigerian military entered Ogoni to attempt to crush the movement. Since then, at least 2,000 Ogoni people have died.
Shell accounts for just over half of Nigeria's total production.
Indeed, other communities such as the Ogbia, Igbide, Ijaw, Etche, and Izon have virtually identical grievances. The powerful collaboration between Shell and the Nigerian military government has led to numerous and varied human rights violations, including summary executions, indiscriminate beatings and arrests, and unfair trials and detentions. Today, Shell quietly admits to every one of those charges except for the bribing of witnesses, which is separately documented and verified. Nigeria's military government and Shell have gotten away with murder. Although the international community was shocked and outraged in the wake of the executions, very little substantive action has been taken.