The Courts and the Implementation of Environmental Laws and Personal Rights in Respect of Oil Exploration and Exploitation in Nigeria

Exploration and exploitation of our natural resources are very important for our national development, most especially petroleum resources. Very often the environment and citizens in the oil-rich areas fall victims of petroleum exploration and exploitation. There are environmental and human rights laws that protect the environment and citizens of this country. The objective of this paper is to find out how individuals and communities aggrieved by environmental pollution through oil spillage have fared in their attempts to seek redress in court. The provisions of the Environmental Impart Assessment {EIA} Decree as well as those of human rights were reviewed. These provisions formed the basis for pollution victims to seek justice in courts. Information for this paper was obtained by examining several court suits brought before the courts by victims (litigants) of oil pollution. Content analysis of the suits and the judgments were reported. Results indicated that many litigants were disappointed in very many cases due to unfavorable judgments of the courts. This was due to several factors that either delayed or denied justice to the litigants. These factors included passivism, lack of environmental awareness, statutory provisions, notices, etc. The paper recommended several remedies that could enhance environmental awareness as well as inject self-reliance in courts themselves, and improve the expectations of litigants from the courts, when suing for environmental pollution.