‘They Deserve Full Exoneration’, Amnesty International On FG’s State Pardon For KSW, Other Ogoni Nine
Human rights organisation, Amnesty International has called for full exoneration of Ogoni Nine members instead of the Nigerian government’s recent pardon as a step toward true justice for the executed environmental activists.
On Thursday, President Bola Ahmed Tinubu granted posthumous national honours and full state pardon to Ken Saro-Wiwa and eight other members of the Ogoni Nine, who were executed by the Sani Abacha regime in 1995.
The announcement was made during his address on June 12 to a joint session of the National Assembly in Abuja.
“Furthermore, I also confer posthumous national honours on Ken Saro Wiwa (CON), the leader of the Ogoni Nine and his fellow travellers, Saturday Dobee (OON), Nordu Eawo (OON), Daniel Gbooko (OON), Paul Levera (OON), Felix Nuate (OON), Baribor Bera (OON), Barinem Kiobel (OON), and John Kpuine (OON). I shall also be exercising my powers under the prerogative of mercy to grant these national heroes a full pardon, together with others whose names shall be announced later in conjunction with the National Council of State,” President Tinubu declared.
However, in a statement released Friday, the human rights organisation who welcomed the development called for full exoneration and accountability for decades of environmental damage in the Niger Delta.
“This is welcome news but it falls far short of the justice the Ogoni Nine need and deserve – the Nigerian government must recognise formally that they are innocent of any crime and fully exonerate them,” said Isa Sanusi, Director of Amnesty International Nigeria.
The Ogoni Nine, led by renowned writer and environmental campaigner Ken Saro-Wiwa, were executed on 10 November 1995 after what Amnesty and other rights groups described as a blatantly unfair trial. Although officially accused of murder, the activists had been campaigning against the environmental degradation caused by oil production in Ogoniland, particularly by Shell.
“The Ogoni Nine, led by Ken Saro-Wiwa Nigeria’s leading author and campaigner, were brutally executed by a regime that wanted to hide the crimes of Shell and other oil companies that were destroying – and continue to destroy – the lives and livelihoods of tens of thousands of people across the Niger Delta as a result of their devastating oil spills and leaks,” Sanusi said.
He added that the impact of the executions still resonates nearly three decades later.
“The execution of these activists nearly 30 years ago has given the Nigerian government and oil companies, including Shell, licence to crackdown on protests and intimidate people in the Niger Delta who have been demanding justice and an end to their toxic pollution.”
Amnesty International emphasised that while the pardon may be symbolically significant, it does not equate to justice. The group urged the Nigerian government to go further by holding multinational oil firms accountable and compensating affected communities.
“Full justice for the Ogoni Nine is only a first step – much more needs to be done to get justice for communities in the Niger Delta, including holding Shell and other oil companies to account for the damage they have done and continue to do,” Sanusi said.
“They must pay the Niger Delta’s communities full compensation for the devastation their oil spills and leaks have caused and clean up their toxic mess before they leave the region.”
Background
The Ogoni Nine—Ken Saro-Wiwa, Barinem Kiobel, John Kpuinen, Baribor Bera, Felix Nuate, Paul Levula, Saturday Dobee, Nordu Eawo, and Daniel Gbokoo—were environmental activists executed in 1995 following their opposition to oil exploitation in the Niger Delta.
Amnesty International and other human rights bodies maintain that Shell was complicit in the events leading up to their unlawful arrests, detentions, and executions.
For over six decades, Shell and other oil companies have been accused of causing environmental devastation in the Niger Delta through poorly maintained infrastructure and inadequate clean-up efforts.
Communities such as Ogale, Bille, and Bodo have taken legal action in the UK to demand accountability and remediation from Shell.
Millions of residents in the Niger Delta continue to face poisoned water sources, infertile lands, and compromised health due to persistent oil spills, while poverty remains widespread.
Hafsoh Isiaq is a graduate of Linguistics. An avid writer committed to creative, high-quality research and news reportage. She has considerable experience in writing and reporting across a variety of platforms including print and online.
