Tobias Sylvester
President Muhammadu Buhari is considering to grant a posthumous pardon to Ken Saro-Wiwa and eight other Ogoni activists killed by a former military regime.
A statement by his spokesman, Femi Adesina, said President Muhammadu Buhari may pardon Ken Saro-Wiwa and eight other Ogoni activists after their brutal execution by the military regime of the late Gen Sani Abacha 26 years ago for fighting for the rights of their people.
Mr Saro-Wiwa and eight of his kinsmen, who became popularly known as the Ogoni Nine, were sentenced to death on November 10, 1995, by Gen Abacha who later died in June 1998 inside the presidential villa under mysterious circumstances.
The rest of the Ogoni nine included Saturday Dobee, Nordu Eawo, Daniel Gbooko, Paul Levera, Felix Nuate, Baribor Bera, Barinem Kiobel, and John Kpuine.
At the peak of his non-violent campaign, Saro-Wiwa and eight others were tried by a special military tribunal for allegedly masterminding the gruesome murder of Ogoni chiefs at a pro-government meeting, and hanged in 1995.
Their execution provoked international outrage and resulted in Nigeria’s suspension from the Commonwealth of Nations for over three years.
The United Nations General Assembly condemned the execution while the European Union condemned the executions, which it called a “cruel and callous act”, and imposed an arms embargo on Nigeria.
The United States recalled its ambassador from Nigeria, imposed an arms embargo on Nigeria, and slapped travel restrictions on members of the Nigerian military regime and their families.
The United Kingdom recalled its High Commissioner in Nigeria, and British Prime Minister John Major called the executions judicial murder.
Buhari Considers Pardoning Ken Saro-Wiwa, Others
Twenty-six years after the incident, Buhari has told Ogoni leaders that Ken Saro-Wiwa and the rest of the Ogoni nine could receive a post-humous state pardon.
Buhari said, “Despite the grievous circumstances, the Federal Government will consider the request for the grant of pardon to finally close the Ogoni saga,” Buhari told the Ogoni leaders.
“Furthermore, we are committed to ensuring clemency and national integration as part of this Administration’s bid to lay the foundation for genuine reconciliation and bring closure to the issues of Ogoni Land.”
“The unfortunate incidents of the early 1990s leading to the loss of lives of distinguished sons of Ogoni Land and the collateral judicial processes are indelible in our memories.”
The President urged Ogoni leaders to works towards protecting national assets like pipelines and other oil installations, saying wilful damages usually create more havoc on their environment and hamper development in the area.
KanyiDaily recalls that Ken Saro-Wiwa’s son, Menegian had died of coronavirus at the age of 50 in a London hospital last year.
