The National Union of Ogoni Students International (NUOS INT’L USA) in collaboration with the Center for Democracy Human Rights and Anti-corruption International (CDHRAC INT’L USA) have called on the Federal Government of Nigeria to exonerate Ken Saro-Wiwa and eight Ogoni activists, who they said were wrongfully and brutality murdered for crime they did not commit under the military regime of Gen. Sani Abacha in 1995.
This was contained in a statement issued by the International group dated Saturday November 16, 2024, and jointly signed by the President of NOUS INT’L, Mr Pius Nwinee and the Coordinator of CDHRAC INT’L, USA, Cornelius Dumerenee.
The groups stressed that while President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s press statement on Saro-Wiwa and eight other Ogoni activists is a right step in the right direction, exonerating them of crime would give a new meaning to the environmental dispute that has held Ogoni and Niger Delta captive.
“We urge the Nigerian government to exonerate Ken Saro-Wiwa and eight Ogoni activists from the criminal iron fist records because the case was too complicated as facts in the matter pointed to no indictment despite the gruesome hanging of the activists.
“Therefore, we call on President Bola Tinubu to exonerate Saro-Wiwa and eight Ogoni activists to showcase their sacrifice to Ogoni and Nigeria national security and strong alliance to end environmental oil pollution and oil theft in the Niger Delta.
“Ken Saro-Wiwa was the founder and President of the Movement For The Survival Of Ogoni People (MOSOP) and he and his kinsmen were arrested, not because they committed any crime, but for the Royal Dutch Shell and the Nigerian government to enrich and please their agents, associates and partners.
“They were accused of complicity in the murder of four Ogoni prominent chiefs, but many people, including the then Prime Minister of Britain, that it was a wrong decision and they called it “Judicial murder” and that they were targeted for their vocal advocacy against environmental destruction and for justice in Ogoniland,” the groups said.
They however, contended that the Federal Government recognising the “sacrifice and wrongful execution of the activists is insufficient without meaningful actions to honour them.”
The groups further urged the Nigerian government and Shell to not only issue a formal apology to the Ogoni people, “but to honour the fallen heroes.”
“We are sad to note that after 29 years of global pressure campaign, and copious propaganda to smear the character of Ken Saro-Wiwa and eight Ogoni activists over trump-up charges on the crimes they did not commit, the Ogonis are resilient to defend their heroes.
“Ken Saro-Wiwa’s trial was a sham, a bad verdict and an unjust sentence and hanging that should not have been carried out at all. The verdict violated, not only Nigerian law, but international law.
“We are also sad that after 29 years that Ken Saro-Wiwa and eight activists were subjected to brutal hanging that led the Ogoni and Niger Delta Delta people into untold suffering, trauma and psychological imbalance, the Nigerian government and Shell have continued to play both sides into the middle so as not to acknowledge their wrongdoing, this is unacceptable.
“We do not see any way we can move forward without the government voiding, vacating or setting aside the fraudulent verdict and exonerate Ken Saro-Wiwa because the facts in the case didn’t support the verdict,” the groups said.
They stated that there is no justification for the Nigerian government and Shell to continue to employ old tactics or recruit the same people for evidences against Ken Saro-Wiwa before the Nigerian citizens.
The groups also called on the Federal government, who they said see nothing wrong in rewarding or promoting the members of the tribunal to the ranks of generals and chief judges, to right the wrongs of the past.
“We therefore urge the Federal Government to open a retrial to examine all the supporting facts and stop sponsoring the same people from trashing Ken Saro-Wiwa and eight Ogoni activists in the court of public opinion.
“We shall no longer accept, allow or tolerate the Federal government of Nigeria and the Royal Dutch Shell after 29 years of lies, deceit punctuated by multi million dollars to their agents and associates to renew another global pressure campaign to brandish Ken Saro-Wiwa and eight Ogoni activists as criminals instead of being seen as prisoners of conscience and victims of corporate greed,” the groups said.
The groups then called on all Nigerians to join “in addressing these longstanding injustices.”
