Nigerian villagers and a Dutch environmental group went to court in The Hague on Thursday in an effort to get their case against Shell heard in the Netherlands, newspaper Trouw reports.

The villagers and Friends of the Earth want to hold the Netherlands- based oil giant responsible for a leaking pipeline owned by its Nigerian subsidiary, which polluted farmland and woods in 2005.
Lawyer Michel Uiterwaal told the judges that Shell and its Nigerian arm are so closely linked that the court would be justified in taking the case. Shell says the case should be heard in Nigeria.
The court is expected to rule on whether the case can be heard in the Netherlands early next year.