Court reserves judgment in appeal over killing of Saro-Wiwa

Ugochukwu Iwuchukwu

The Court of Appeal sitting in Port Harcourt has reserved judgment in the case between Conscience of Ogoni People and Federal Government over the Ogoni Civil Disturbances Tribunal Judgement.

The Conscience of Ogoni People had gone to the Appeal Court to set aside the Ogoni Civil Disturbances Special Tribunal judgment that sentenced Saro Wiwa to death on November 1995.

When the matter was called up in court, counsel to Federal Government filed a motion for an extension of time while the lawyer of Conscience of Ogoni People filed a reply brief which was adopted by the court.

The lawyer to Conscience of Ogoni People, Golden Awi also added in his brief that the Coordinator of the group, Gani Topba, has the legal right to fight for the setting aside of the tribunal judgment that sentenced Ken Saro Wiwa to death.

GOLDEN Awi also said that the lower court had earlier condemned the ruling of the tribunal that convicted the nine activists, noting that such laws cannot exist in a civilized society.

Recall that the Environmental Right Activist, Ken Saro-Wiwa, and eight other Ogoni leaders (Saturday Dobee, Felix Nuate, Nordu Eawo, Paul Levura, Daniel Gbokoo, Barinem Kiobel, John Kpunien, and Baribor Bera) were sentenced to death on 30th and 31st October 1995 and were executed on November 10th, 1995.