<p><br />The case was due to go to court in New York next week, but Shell settled in a move it said was not an admission of guilt.</p>.<p>Nine people, including prominent Nigerian writer Ken Saro-Wiwa, were arrested in 1994 and hanged for allegedly ordering the murder of four local leaders.</p>.<p>However, human rights' activists said the trial was a sham and was simply a way to get rid of the activists, who were non-violently campaigning against environmental damage caused by drilling in the oil-producing Niger Delta.</p>.<p>Relatives of those hanged began to pursue Shell through the courts, saying the company was complicit in the executions.</p>.<p>The lawsuit alleged that Shell helped to arm Nigerian police, took part in security sweeps in Ogoniland and helped the government capture Saro-Wiwa and other protesters.</p>.<p>Protests led by Saro-Wiwa forced Shell to suspend production in Ogoniland in 1993.</p>.<p>While Shell paid out, company official Malcolm Brinded on Monday said Shell was not involved in the violence and that the payment was a gesture to acknowledge the suffering of the plaintiffs and to help reconciliation with the Ogoni people.</p>.<p>Around a third of the money would be put into a trust for the Ogoni people while the rest would go to lawyers' fees and compensation for the families, lawyers for the plaintiffs said.</p>.<p>Nigeria is one of the world's largest oil exporters, but continued unrest has cut production by around a fifth.</p>.<p>Militant groups who have attacked oil facilities and kidnapped workers say they are fighting for a fairer share of oil revenues for the local people.</p>.<p>The government says that the militants are criminals intent on stealing oil.</p>
<p><br />The case was due to go to court in New York next week, but Shell settled in a move it said was not an admission of guilt.</p>.<p>Nine people, including prominent Nigerian writer Ken Saro-Wiwa, were arrested in 1994 and hanged for allegedly ordering the murder of four local leaders.</p>.<p>However, human rights' activists said the trial was a sham and was simply a way to get rid of the activists, who were non-violently campaigning against environmental damage caused by drilling in the oil-producing Niger Delta.</p>.<p>Relatives of those hanged began to pursue Shell through the courts, saying the company was complicit in the executions.</p>.<p>The lawsuit alleged that Shell helped to arm Nigerian police, took part in security sweeps in Ogoniland and helped the government capture Saro-Wiwa and other protesters.</p>.<p>Protests led by Saro-Wiwa forced Shell to suspend production in Ogoniland in 1993.</p>.<p>While Shell paid out, company official Malcolm Brinded on Monday said Shell was not involved in the violence and that the payment was a gesture to acknowledge the suffering of the plaintiffs and to help reconciliation with the Ogoni people.</p>.<p>Around a third of the money would be put into a trust for the Ogoni people while the rest would go to lawyers' fees and compensation for the families, lawyers for the plaintiffs said.</p>.<p>Nigeria is one of the world's largest oil exporters, but continued unrest has cut production by around a fifth.</p>.<p>Militant groups who have attacked oil facilities and kidnapped workers say they are fighting for a fairer share of oil revenues for the local people.</p>.<p>The government says that the militants are criminals intent on stealing oil.</p>