Shell spying and covert intelligence gathering in Nigeria
Jul 8th, 2026 by John Donovan.
By John Donovan including research information from Google AI Mode
Shell spying and covert intelligence gathering in Nigeria primarily center around the controversial OPL 245 offshore oilfield deal and leaked diplomatic cables revealing corporate infiltration into the Nigerian government. [ 1, 2]
Key incidents and investigations include:
- Former British Spies in the Malabu Deal: Leaked emails and investigations revealed that Shell used former MI6 and British intelligence officers to covertly gather intelligence on Nigerian government officials while negotiating the $1.3 billion purchase of the OPL 245 oil block. The operation reportedly involved recruiting a network of informants to monitor the deliberations of the Nigerian administration. [ 1, 2, 3, 4, 5]
- WikiLeaks Revelations: U.S. diplomatic cables released in 2010 exposed that Shell’s former top executive in Nigeria boasted that the company had infiltrated all relevant ministries of the Nigerian government. The cables alleged that Shell possessed deep knowledge of internal government discussions and used this intelligence to protect its business interests in the Niger Delta. [ 1, 2, 3]
- Supernumerary (SPY) Police: Historically, human rights groups and investigative reports have scrutinized Shell’s reliance on “Spy Police”—supernumerary officers trained and sanctioned by the Nigerian Police Force but effectively utilized as private security for Shell’s oil installations. [ 1, 2]
The fallout from the OPL 245 intelligence and bribery allegations sparked massive international scrutiny. While Shell and its executives have consistently denied the allegations, investigations and lawsuits regarding the intelligence operations and payments connected to the OPL 245 block have heavily impacted the company’s standing. [ 1, 2, 4]
The Hakluyt Undercover Agent Operations (Manfred Schlickenrieder)
Following the 1995 hanging of Ken Saro-Wiwa and the Ogoni Nine by the murderous Nigerian military regime, Shell faced an unprecedented international public relations crisis. To monitor the escalating backlash and safeguard its operations, Shell turned to Hakluyt & Company, a private intelligence firm packed with former MI6 officers. [ 1, 2, 3, 4, 5]
The operation, exposed by The Sunday Times in 2001, detailed how Hakluyt deployed a long-term undercover agent to infiltrate activist circles: [ 1, 2, 3]
- The Operative: Hakluyt hired Manfred Schlickenrieder (code-named “Camus“), a former operative for the German foreign intelligence service. [ 1]
- The Cover Story: Schlickenrieder posed as a sympathetic, left-wing documentary filmmaker. He ran a front production company called Gruppe 2. [ 1, 2]
- Targeting Ogoni Activists: Under the guise of filming a documentary, Schlickenrieder traveled across Europe interviewing high-profile critics of Shell’s actions in Nigeria. He explicitly targeted groups campaigning for the rights of the Ogoni people. [ 1]
- The Body Shop Infiltration: Part of his intelligence brief was to dupe Anita Roddick’s The Body Shop group. The brand was heavily allied with Ken Saro-Wiwa’s movement and was fiercely opposing Shell’s oil drilling in Nigerian tribal lands. [ 1, 3]
- The Institutional Link: The relationship between the two entities was institutional. Sir Peter Holmes, the former Chairman of Shell, simultaneously served as the president of Hakluyt’s foundation, cementing the corporate-intelligence pipeline. [ 1, 2]
The OPL 245 Wiretapped Phone Call (Ben van Beurden)
The shadowy architecture of Shell’s modern intelligence network came to light during the multi-billion-dollar OPL 245 corruption scandal. On 17 February 2016, Dutch financial police launched a surprise dawn raid on Shell’s global headquarters in The Hague. [ 1, 2, 3]
Unbeknownst to Shell’s leadership, Dutch law enforcement had wiretapped the telephone of Shell’s Chief Executive Officer, Ben van Beurden. Hours after investigators left his office, van Beurden placed a call to his Chief Financial Officer, Simon Henry. The intercepted audio was leaked to BuzzFeed News and Italy’s Il Sole 24 Ore in 2017. [ 1, 2, 3]
The wiretap transcript exposed Shell’s panic regarding their internal MI6 networks: [ 1]
"Apparently they have been in my office for about three or four hours going through everything... Don't volunteer anything more than we absolutely have to."
— Ben van Beurden, Shell CEO (Wiretapped 17 February 2016)
Key Revelations from the Wiretap and Leaked OPL 245 Emails:
- The “Pub Talk” Emails: In the call, CFO Simon Henry lamented that internal emails between Shell’s intelligence hires were judged by investigators to be “just pub talk… which was stupid, but nevertheless, it’s there.”
- The MI6 Hires: The documentation seized in the raids proved Shell had hired former British Secret Intelligence Service (SIS/MI6) personnel to secure the OPL 245 block. This included John Copleston (a former MI6 officer who acted as Shell’s political advisor) and Guy Colegate.
- Infiltration of the Contract: These spies successfully monitored the internal deliberations of the Nigerian government. They discovered that the $1.3 billion Shell was paying for the offshore block was actually being routed directly to Dan Etete, a convicted money launderer and former Nigerian oil minister.
- Corporate Knowledge: The wiretap shattered Shell’s public defense that it only dealt with the legitimate Nigerian government. It proved top executives knew they were using spies to navigate a web of corruption that funnelled hundreds of millions of dollars to corrupt politicians. [ 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6]
While criminal trials in Italy eventually concluded with acquittals regarding the bribery charges, the wiretapped call remains a landmark piece of evidence revealing how multinational energy conglomerates weaponize private espionage networks. [ 1, 2]
Gene Sticco is a former high-level corporate security insider turned whistleblower who served as the Head of Shell Global Security for Gas & Power and Deputy Head of Shell’s internal Corporate Affairs Security (CAS) department. Operating inside what he termed the corporate-intelligence machinery, he reported directly to Ian Forbes McCredie, a senior former British MI6 officer who ran Shell’s global security apparatus. [ 1, 2]
Sticco’s connection to Nigeria, the corporate espionage architecture, and subsequent actions include: [ 1]
1. Infiltration and Espionage Machinery
During his time as the “No. 2” at Shell CAS, Sticco helped oversee an internal security structure designed on intelligence frameworks. This department was actively involved in managing geopolitical risks, countering activist pressure, and handling litigation exposure. In the context of Nigeria, this apparatus was responsible for monitoring the persistent public relations fallout and activist movements linked to the Niger Delta, human rights organizations, and the historical execution of the Ogoni Nine. [ 1, 2, 3, 4]
2. Whistleblowing and the Niger Delta Litigation.
After leaving Shell, Sticco transitioned from a corporate “spy boss” to a critical whistleblower. He provided crucial testimony and internal evidence regarding Shell’s operational cultures, specifically highlighting how the company prioritized production over safety—coining the phrase “production was king – to hell with safety”. [ 1, 2] He became a friend and supporter of John Donovan and his website royaldutchshellplc.com after being instructed to monitor Donovan’s activities.
His insider testimony and leaked documents have been heavily utilized in the UK Court of Appeal and High Court battles against Shell. This litigation involves over 13,500 residents from the Ogale and Bille communities in Nigeria seeking damages for decades of catastrophic oil pollution in the Niger Delta. Whistleblower revelations from insiders like Sticco have helped dismantle Shell’s primary legal defense, which historically tried to insulate the UK parent company from the environmental liabilities of its Nigerian subsidiary (SPDC). [ 1, 2, 3, 4, 5]
3. The Book: UNCONVENTIONAL
Sticco published a detailed memoir titled UNCONVENTIONAL: A true story of oil, intelligence, and consequence. The book provides a rare, un-sanitised look into how major oil companies deploy private intelligence networks behind closed doors. [ 1]
- It explicitly corroborates the deep systemic ties between Shell’s boardroom and former MI6 operatives.
- It details how Subject Access Requests (SAR) and leaked internal emails exposed Shell’s covert monitoring, surveillance, and coordination with outside intelligence agencies to neutralise critics and protect their oil assets in volatile regions like Nigeria. [ 1]
