The High Court in London has ruled that Shell plc and its former Nigerian subsidiary can be held liable for historic oil pollution in the Niger Delta. In this case, the Bille and Ogale communities in Rivers State said that Shell-owned infrastructure caused thousands of years of environmental degradation, and are seeking compensation, and asking for the companies to clean up the damage caused by the spills. Shell had argued that claims older than five years were time-barred, but the judge disagreed, ruling that failure to clean up the pollution could amount to an ongoing legal breach. For more on these developments, Shuaibu Idris, Economist and Managing Director/ CEO at Timelin.