The death of Ken Saro-Wiwa, the Nigerian activist, will return to haunt Royal Dutch Shell next month when a potentially groundbreaking court case opens in the US alleging the company was complicit in his execution. 

Lawyers are hoping to hold Shell to account for sponsoring what they describe as a campaign of terror by Nigeria’s security forces in Ogoni in the Niger Delta that culminated in Saro-Wiwa’s hanging in 1995. The case is a key test of whether multinationals based in the US or operating there can be successfully sued for damages over operations abroad. Proceedings are due to open at a New York court on May 26.