diplomatic cables obtained by WikiLeaks.
The oil giant's top executive in Nigeria, Ann Pickard, told U.S. diplomats
in Abuja in October 2009 that Shell had obtained secret information,
including a letter showing Nigeria had invited bids for oil concessions
from China.
"She said the GON (government of Nigeria) had forgotten that Shell had seconded people to all the relevant ministries
and that Shell consequently had access to everything that was being done
in those ministries," U.S. Ambassador Robin Renee Sanders was quoted by
the Guardian as saying in a cable to Washington...
Nigeria is Africa's top oil exporter, and its energy industry has been dominated
for decades by international oil firms such as Exxon Mobil, Total and
Shell.
But oil production has been plagued by years of attacks on vulnerable pipelines and platforms by militant groups in the Niger
Delta, which increased in intensity from mid-2006 until an amnesty last
year brought a halt to sabotage attacks.
The Guardian said Pickard, according to a September 2008 cable from the U.S. consulate in
Lagos, had sought to share intelligence with the U.S. government on
militant activity, which at its peak shut down a quarter of Nigeria's
oil output.
"She claimed Shell has 'intelligence' that one to three surface-to-air missiles (SAMs) may have been shipped to Nigerian
militant groups, although she seemed somewhat sceptical of that
information and wondered if such sensitive systems would last long in
the harsh environment of the Niger Delta."
Ironically, the Shell executive expressed wariness about discussing sensitive issues with U.S. officials.
"Picard has repeatedly told us she does not like to talk to U.S. government
(USG) officials because the USG is 'leaky'," the leaked memo said.
No one at Royal Dutch Shell was available for comment early on Thursday.
| Posted: at | |
TRENDING GISTS 
Police Arrest Suspected Ritualist With Human Organs In Lagos
VIDEO; Reactions As Peller And Jarvis Arrive In Dubai For Streamer’s 20th Birthday
Southampton v Manchester City: UEFA Champions League Semi-Final Match,Team News,Goal Scorers &Stats
PHOTOS: Troops Arrest Notorious Gunrunners, Recover Arms In Kaduna
PHOTOS: Young Woman Brutally Murdered By Suspected Ritualists, Priv@te Part Removed In Ogun
Woman Slams Her Husband For Allegedly Having Unprotected S3x With Random Girls After Publicly Apologizing To Her