Nigeria blasts Amnesty's oil complaints

LONDON, July 2 (UPI) -- Complaints filed by Amnesty International over the human rights impact of the oil sector in the Niger Delta are inaccurate, the Nigerian state oil company said.

Amnesty International in a scathing 144-page report complains that the activity of the oil industry in the Niger Delta has resulted in sweeping human rights violations and caused detrimental effects on the health of the local population.

Levi Ajuonoma, the spokesman for the state-owned Nigerian National Petroleum Corp., said the report put too much blame on oil companies, suggesting militants were to blame for most of the damage, CNN reports.

"Pipeline damage is a major cause of pollution," he said, blaming the militants who "vandalize pipelines and make claims on the oil company operating in the area."

The Amnesty report lays most of the blame on Royal Dutch Shell, which issued similar statements pointing to the activity of militants. But Shell also responded, noting the report gives nothing in the way of corrective actions.

"This report brings no new insights or analysis to help oil companies such as Shell Petroleum Development Co. improve managing the issues of the Niger Delta," Shell said in a statement.

Amnesty in its report recognizes militant activity, notably from the Movement for Emancipation of the Niger Delta, is responsible for some of the issues related to human rights consequences, but did not indicate to what degree.