NIGERIA ABUSES, CHEVRON NOT GUILTY!

A federal jury has cleared Chevron Corporation of responsibility for any human rights abuses during a violent protest on the company's oil platform in Nigeria a decade ago, when Nigeria security forces used weapons allegedly supplied by Chevron to ruthlessly clear a held-up platform, of protesters thereon, killing and maiming many in the process.
Some human rights groups had on behalf of the victims, sued the San Ramon, California - based company under a centuries-old law allowing foreigners to file lawsuits in United States courts for alleged international law violations. The victim-plaintiffs, some Niger Delta villagers, who were injured during the protest, had sued the company ten years ago following the mayhem.

However jurors in San Francisco, California on December 1st, 2008 disagreed with the plaintiffs, but instead backed Chevron's claims that the Nigerian government was solely responsible for the violent response. Chevron said its workers were also victims as they were held hostage for days and that protesters were rioting and threatening troops.

Icheokudotcom says that this decision flies in the face of a long established Chevron and Shell's itinerant support for repressing protests in their oil-exploration and exploitation areas of the Niger Delta of Nigeria. For this San Francisco jurors to simply pass a vote of confidence on Chevron, by clearing it of these abuses, despite the glaring evidence to the contrary, goes to show how little Nigerians are viewed and valued in the eyes of the world. Even little Ecuador and Bolivia got more honorable consideration in their cases against Chevron. At least, these jurors would have shown cause, even if not monetary, but to caution Chevron to be more humane in the Niger Delta of Nigeria.