‘$2.7bn oil theft’: Aiteo Group alleges sponsored media campaign by Shell

Aiteo Group, a Nigerian energy conglomerate, has raised the alarm of an alleged sponsored media campaign launched by Shell to malign its reputation and Benedict Peters, the group’s executive vice chairman.

In a statement signed by Ndiana Matthew, head of media operations at Aiteo Group, on Thursday, the company said said the allegation followed an unresolved dispute between Aiteo Eastern E&P and Shell Petroleum Development Company (SPDC) over alleged diversion of 16 million barrels of crude oil, worth $2.7 billion.

Aiteco said its attention has been drawn to Arise Television news converge of a press conference held on Thursday, which was organised by some Nigerians and other civil society organisations such as Arewa Consultative Youth Movement, African Human Rights Centre and National Association of Nigerian Students.

“In the course of this event, the speakers alerted the public of the existence of a plot by oil giant, Shell, to instigate and propagate a global smear campaign against us. It appears that this calumnious campaign is being prosecuted by, amongst other antagonists, individuals and entities running a reports-for-cash media campaign,” the statement reads.

“What transpired from the press conference today (Thursday) is that the participants confirmed that Shell has committed substantial resources towards impugning Aiteo’s corporate integrity, presumably to exert penalty and punishment on Aiteo for mustering the temerity to demand and insist on its contractual and commercial relationship rights.”

Aiteo alleged that the execution of such campaign relies heavily on “the dissemination and deployment -anonymously, pseudonymously and by remunerated proxy – of deliberate misinformation and incorrect reportage aimed at discrediting and tarnishing our reputation, locally and internationally”.

The group said, although, the campaign commenced a few weeks ago, it (campaign) has “shamelessly” escalated and “brazenly” intensified.

“Any objective observer will easily appreciate the motivation on the part of the international oil giant to propagate this campaign of calumny.

“By doing so, the outcome will create unnecessary digressions and distractions from the current issues encapsulated by our demand that Shell accounts and pays for over 16 million barrels of oil belonging to us and the Nigerian government, missing through their actions and activities.”

Aiteo and some other indigenous oil producers including Belemaoil, Eroton and Newcross had alleged that Shell deployed underhand practices including using unapproved meters to facilitate crude theft.

In pursuing this, Aiteo filed a lawsuit at the federal high court in Lagos that granted an interim mareva injunction directing 20 commercial banks to block SPDC and its four subsidiaries’ accounts over the alleged oil theft.

A move by Shell to vacate the interim injunction was declined by the court.