Shell: 'Absolutely untrue' it has spies in Nigeria

LAGOS, Nigeria

Royal Dutch Shell PLC says it is "absolutely untrue" that it has infiltrated every Nigerian ministry affecting its operations in the oil-rich nation.

The Shell denial comes after a U.S. Embassy cable was released by the WikiLeaks website on Wednesday night.

The cable alleged that Shell's top manager in Nigeria claimed the oil company had sources inside of "all relevant ministries" involving its business.

The manager said the Nigerian government "had forgotten that Shell had seconded people to all the relevant ministries and that Shell consequently had access to everything that was being done in those ministries."

Shell said it would not comment further on the cables.

Shell discovered the first oil field in the Niger Delta in 1956 and remains the dominant firm in the country.