On November 10, 1995, the Nigerian government unfairly killed ‘nine’ innocent Ogoni people after a military trial which denied them a right to appeal. The circumstances of their death are well known – that they were killed by their own government in an attempt to silence their agitation for justice for the Ogoni people.
18 years later, government actions clearly support the claims of the Ogoni people and particularly, the statement of Ken Saro-Wiwa before the “Ogoni Civil Disturbances Special Tribunal” in 1995 that the trial was orchestrated by government to silence the voice of minority Ogoni people who strongly agitated for a fair treatment in Nigeria.
Click Here To Read Saro-Wiwa;s statement before the Justice Auta’s Special tribunal set up by the then Nigeria’s military government.
In recognition of Saro-Wiwa’s heroism and innocence, the Rivers State government had only recently renamed the popular stadium road in Port Harcourt, the state capital after Saro-Wiwa. In 2010, the government in its official calendar celebrated the Heroes of Rivers State of which Saro-Wiwa was one. Government acknowledged that Saro-Wiwa’s death was as a result of his fight for the rights of his minority Ogoni people.
Most recently, the Bayelsa State Director of the State Security Services, SSS, Andrew Ayaji had thrown more light into the actual reasons Ken Saro-Wiwa and eight other Ogoni people were hanged in 1995. The security chief’s comment supports widely held position that Saro-Wiwa’s crime was that he led a mass protest against injustice meted on the Ogoni people by Shell and the Nigerian government.
The security chief was speaking while delivering a lecture at this year’s Bayelsa State Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ)’s press week held at the council hall in Yenagoa.
Andrew Ajaji said Saro-Wiwa’s non-violent campaign threatened the Nigerian state. He claimed that Saro-Wiwa was hanged because the Nigerian government feared his campaign could break up the country.
Now that the facts of the innocence of Ken Saro-Wiwa and eight other Ogonis hanged by the Nigerian government on November 10, 1995 has become clearer than ever before, it is only just for these ‘nine Ogonis’ including Ken Saro-Wiwa, Saturday Dobee, Nordu Eawo, Daniel Gbooko, Paul Levera, Felix Nuate, Baribor Bera, Dr. Barinem Kiobel, and John Kpuinen to be formally and officially declared innocent by the Nigerian state and for the government to tender their apologies, work towards a just system that guarantees justice for all and honor these nine Ogonis whose innocent blood facilitated Nigeria’s process towards democratization – recall that outraged by the executions, the Commonwealth had suspended Nigeria and given her 2 years to democratize.
We believe, decriminalizing the “Ogoni 9” is a fair and just thing to do at this time. We also believe such action will usher in an era of forgiveness, reconciliation and begin to build real confidence in the Ogoni people that government is not really out to exterminate the Ogoni people for championing the minority struggle for justice in the Niger Delta.
A most appropriate day for the government to take this action is November 10, 2012.
WHAT WORLD LEADERS SAID ABOUT THE EXECUTION OF THE “OGONI 9”
Former British Prime Minister, John Major described the executions as “JUDICIAL MURDER”.
“This is state murder” – Prof. Bolaji Akinyemi, Former Nigeria’s External Affairs Minister
“British business has Ken’s blood on its hands today – Anita Roddick said on Nov. 10, 1995
Source: OgoniNews
*This article is a republication as part of our Nov. 10th special editions to remember Ken Saro-Wiwa and the Ogoni8
OGONI HEROES’ DAY: CALL FOR ARTICLE SUBMISSION!!!
We are now calling on all Ogoni writers and intellectuals to submit their papers/articles about the Ogoni 9, the struggle and the way forward for Ogoni in preparation for November 10th. Tell the world what actually happened between 1990 and 1995 and even events that occurred before, during and after oil exploration and exploitation in Ogoniland. Your articles will be featured on our news website free of charge and we will ensure they (articles) get to the right audience at the right time. All articles should be submitted to articles@huraclub.org on/before Nov. 9th 2012. For further enquiries about article submission, concern about this advert, or to contact HURAC, please write to enquiry@huraclub.org or contact us by clicking this link (Opens in new window).
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