Police in Nigeria this weekend shot and killed a demonstrator who was protesting against an oil spill at a Royal Dutch/Shell field, reports the independent newspaper ThisDay. Gabriel Ayoko, a 23-year-old student, died accusing Shell of stalling efforts to clean up the spill, which occurred months ago. Protesters said the police, who were escorting a contractor and a team sent by Shell to attend to the spill, opened fire on them. But a police spokesperson said Ayoko was shot as he reached for an officer’s gun. One protester said, “When an oil spill happens in developed countries, how many hours does it take Shell to start a cleanup exercise?”
