Nigeria
During Watts's tenure as managing director of Shell Nigeria in the early 1990s a major area of exploration in the country was the oil-rich Niger River delta and here Shell came into conflict with the Ogoni people. The conflict with the Ogonis eventually culminated in the execution by the Nigerian regime of activist Ken Saro-Wiwa. In 2002 a class action lawsuit was filed by the Philadelphia law firm of Berger & Montague alleging that Shell "engaged in militarized commerce in a conspiracy with the former military government of Nigeria…purchasing ammunition and using its helicopters and boats and providing logistical support for … a military foray into Ogoniland designed to terrorize the civilian population into ending peaceful protests." Shell dismissed the allegations as "groundless", but Watts was questioned in London by representatives of Berger & Montague in mid-April 2004 although he was not named a defendant in the lawsuit, which was brought solely against the company.
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