November 10th is around the corner, and as a wife who dearly loved her late husband, it is not easy to forget Barinem. As seconds, minutes, hours, days, months and years go by, I remember the gruesome murder of my husband Hon Dr Barinem Nubari Kiobel. As he was being executed, I heard him screaming from across the fence.
It grieves my heart; I’ve always asked why do good people not last long? I’ve got no answer yet. Another incongruity that has perplexed me over the years is the fact that most often evil-doers, rather than being behind bars, are appointed into positions of responsibility. If I had an audience with my brother, President Goodluck Jonathan, I would ask him why on earth he appointed Justice Auta and his likes into the positions they currently hold, after all the atrocities they committed.
Nigeria and shell (SPDC) owe me an explanation for the killing of my husband, and when the time comes I will want justice Auta, Lt. Col Komo, Shell (SPDC), Okuntimo etc., to be tried in the World Court as criminals and I know that by the grace of God it shall come to pass!!!
As I always say, Nigeria is a blessed country, greatly endowed by God, but the corrupt leaders are destroying it. But I know that by God’s grace and His mercy, it will get back to being a good country.
Corporations like shell, who enjoy the privilege of doing business in America, and all of the other pay back of corporate personhood, should be answerable for their role in gross human rights violations. My desire is for my case to become a legal precedent by which present and future victims of human rights violations can turn to United States courts for relief, as provided by the alien Tort statute of 1789.
My family and I have been through so much emotional trauma. Our consolation over the years has been that the succors we have found in this land of the free will translate into bringing shell to book for all the violations we suffered the trauma of which we have battled to date. I have faith in this country because our judicial system here is built on tradition characterized by equity and morality.
My family and I are pleading that this case be decided here in the United States and not anywhere else because Shell’s motive to have this case decided somewhere else instead of United State is simply to, once again manipulate the Nigerian judicial system, which they have so infiltrated over years to do business as they pleased.
We are dealing with a corporation that would do everything within their means to evade legal prosecution. This is evident in the manner in which Shell did settle the ken Saro-Wiwa family, Blessing Kpunem and few of the plaintiffs for $15.5 million on June 8 2009. They lied to the media that they settled all Ogoni Nine, as I am speaking Baribor Bera’s family, and some other victim’s family have not yet been approached. They thought they would forever get away with their culpability in the death of my beloved husband, while my family and I remained in this nightmare, it is disheartening that this company has remained so confident that their size and financial status is all they needed to have things done their own way at a terrible cost to the freedom and security of a traumatized widow like me and my family.
The memory of the physical torture I went through has remained fresh in my mind, and whenever I look at the scar of the injury I sustained during the incident, my heart races for justice the more.
The abuses my family and I went through are such an awful experience that has left us traumatized to date without help. We all have lived with so much pain, but rather than giving up, the thought of how ruthlessly my husband was killed and acidized has spurred me to remain resilient in my fight for justice. I promised my husband that I would fight for him, I am keeping the promise alive with God’s help, also with all the concrete evidence of Shell’s involvement, secret meeting held at government house, Port-Harcourt, where Shell officials wanted my husband’s co-operation as Honorable Commissioner of Commerce, Industry and Tourism during the Komo administration as military governor of Rivers State. They tried to bribe my late husband to betray his fellow patriot, Ken Saro-Wiwa. Other evidence include: pictures of shell’s cronies airlifting my husband in their helicopter, dressed in uniform and helmet that bore Shell logo, during my deposition when the first evidence was showed to shell’s lawyer at Philadelphia, she was Outraged, silent for a while then asked me how much I was suing for, and then I told her that I needed justice for myself, my husband and other victims. Also, I do have evidence of secret documents that were sent through my husband’s office as Honorable Commissioner. Shell knows I do have all the evidence, also shown to them during my deposition with all the living witnesses that were bribed, also on their payroll, they were going to make me one, but I refused and fought back. That is the reason they want to silent me, by fighting to ensure the case is not heard in the United States; if Shell had their way, they would have the case thrown out of court.
My family, the rest of the plaintiffs and I will want our case to be heard in this country we have come to call home. This is what will give us a sense of belonging, as well as go a long way to give hope to countless victims of corporate human rights violations the world over.
I wish to thank all the Non-Profit Groups, Media, friends, and well-wishers who stood (and still are fighting) by the Oppressed Seeking Justice for Genocidal activities in the Niger Delta and above. May God bless you all.
Hon. (Dr.) Barinem Nubari Kiobel was a man with a prodigious heart that cared for others. A kind-hearted man that was selfless. He was a wonderful husband, a God-fearing man, a good father, brother and a best friend. He was a man of timber and caliber. He has been very much missed and will always be remembered.
As written by Esther Kiobel *This article is a republication as part of our Nov. 10th special editions to remember Ken Saro-Wiwa and the Ogoni8 Trending HURAC News: Hacking Attempt on HURAC Facebook Account Rebuffed (click on the link beside to read full story)
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