By Omoniyi David
President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has granted a posthumous pardon to environmental activist Ken Saro-Wiwa and eight others, collectively known as the Ogoni Nine, 30 years after their execution by Nigeria’s military regime sparked international outrage.
Saro-Wiwa and the others were convicted of murder and hanged in 1995 under General Sani Abacha’s regime, a move widely believed to have been politically motivated due to their protests against the environmental degradation caused by multinational oil companies, particularly Shell, in Ogoniland.
Shell has long denied involvement in the arrests or executions.
Announcing the pardon during Nigeria’s Democracy Day celebration on Thursday, President Tinubu also conferred national honours on the Ogoni Nine, describing them as “heroes” who made “outstanding contributions” to Nigeria’s democratic journey.
The recipients included Ken Saro-Wiwa, Barinem Kiobel, John Kpuinen, Baribor Bera, Felix Nuate, Paul Levula, Saturday Dobee, Nordu Eawo, and Daniel Gbokoo.
While the gesture has been welcomed by some, others believe it falls short. The Movement for the Survival of the Ogoni People (MOSOP), once led by Saro-Wiwa, praised the pardon as a “courageous act” but stressed that the men were never guilty in the first place.
“This pardon implies wrongdoing when, in fact, no crime was ever committed,” MOSOP said.
Barinem Kiobel’s widow also appreciated the national honour but urged President Tinubu to go further.
“A pardon is not granted to the innocent. My husband and his compatriots should be officially declared innocent,” she said.
Amnesty International echoed similar concerns, saying the pardon does not substitute for justice.
“More must be done to hold oil companies accountable for ongoing environmental harm in the Niger Delta,” the group stated.
Saro-Wiwa, a renowned writer and television producer, had led peaceful protests against Shell’s operations in Ogoniland, accusing the company of polluting farmlands and water sources. The protests were met with brutal military repression.
In 1995, the Ogoni Nine were tried by a secret military tribunal and sentenced to death in a process widely condemned as unjust.
Their execution drew international condemnation and led to Nigeria’s suspension from the Commonwealth.
In recent years, Shell has faced multiple lawsuits over environmental damage in the Niger Delta.
In 2021, a Dutch court ordered the company to pay over $100 million in compensation for oil spills. Shell maintains that many spills result from sabotage and oil theft, not negligence.
The pardon revives global attention on the legacy of the Ogoni Nine and the long-standing call for environmental justice in Nigeria’s oil-rich south.
