Eni and Shell face new Nigeria action

The two firms have received harsh criticism from an Italian judge and now await UK court proceedings

The Nigerian government's decision to formally launch a $1.1bn claim against Shell and Eni in UK courts, relating to funds allegedly misappropriated for bribes and kickbacks during the acquisition of an oil block in 2011, could lead to the largest-ever payment in an oil sector corruption case. If successful, the case, launched in November 2018, could also open the door for more scrutiny by governments of deals made by their predecessors in the hope of winning similar awards. Eni and Shell deny any wrongdoing related to the deal. The legal case centres on the acquisition in 2011 of offshore block OPL 245-which could hold up to 9bn barrels of oil. Most of the $1.3bn believed to have been paid