Dutch lawmakers to drill Shell over Niger Delta

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Dutch lawmakers said they would call Royal Dutch Shell officials in for questioning after conducting a visit to the oil-rich Niger Delta region.

Royal Dutch Shell is under fire for its operations in Nigeria as oil rebels ramp up activity following the collapse of a November cease-fire. The summons followed a brief fact-finding mission to Nigeria by several members of the Dutch Parliament, London's Telegraph newspaper said in a report.

Shell is blamed for chronic oil spills in Nigeria, which some environmental groups estimate could have spilled as much as nine million barrels of crude oil since the 1950s. The company blamed rebels for the spills, though advocacy groups counter their claims.

Dutch lawmakers to drill Shell over Niger Delta