The Ken Saro-Wiwa Foundation has faulted President Buhari’s comment of granting a state pardon to the late Ken Saro-Wiwa and eight others executed by the Sani Abacha-led military administration.
President Muhammadu Buhari on Friday, while receiving some leaders of the Ogoni ethnicity at the Presidential Villa, Abuja said he would consider granting a state pardon for Ken Saro-Wiwa and eight other Ogoni leaders executed by the Nigerian military dictator, Sani Abacha in 1995.
According to the President, “The unfortunate incidents of the early 1990s leading to the loss of lives of distinguished sons of Ogoni land and the collateral judicial processes are indelible in our memories.
“In spite of the grievous circumstances, the federal government will consider the request for the grant of pardon to finally close the Ogoni saga.”
Reacting to the President’s comment, the Foundation in a statement, signed by the brother of Ken Saro-Wiwa, Dr Owens Wiwa, on behalf of the Board of Directors said the late activist and the eight others, who were murdered by the Abacha regime were not criminals.
The Ogoni nine including writer, Ken Saro-Wiwa, Baribor Bera, Barinem Kiobel, Daniel Gbooko, Felix Nuate, John Kpuine, Paul Levera, Nordu Eawo, and Saturday Dobee, had opposed the operating practices of oil companies destroying Ogoniland.
Saro-Wiwa and the others were accused of being responsible for the murder of four Ogoni chiefs at a pro-government meeting.
Subsequently, they were sentenced to death by hanging after they were tried by a special military tribunal.
The foundation faulted President Buhari’s comment, noting that the ‘innocent activists’ were illegally murdered for fighting a cause on behalf of their oppressed community.
They further asked President Buhari to exonerate the slain activists as a step towards peace and justice.
According to the statement, “The Board of Directors of the Ken Saro-Wiwa Foundation (KSWF) have received and read the statement from Mr Adesina, the Special Adviser on Communications to the President of Nigeria, General Mohamadu Buhari (Rtd), in which the President conveyed his willingness to grant clemency or pardons to Ken Saro-Wiwa and eight Ogoni activists illegally executed by the Nigerian Military Dictatorship of Sani Abacha on November 10, 1995, after a sham trial.
“Ken Saro-Wiwa and the other eight Ogonis were not criminals. They were innocent activists unjustly murdered for fighting for a just cause on behalf of their oppressed community. The path to true peace in the region begins with justice.
“The cleaning up of the environment for which they campaigned and died for is a first good step. The exoneration of Ken Saro-Wiwa and 8 other Ogoni activists, judicially murdered on November 10 1995 is another step towards peace.
“The family of Ken Saro-Wiwa have made a request for the exoneration of Ken Saro-Wiwa to the President in the past and are still waiting for a response. We urge the President to again consider this request as a path to justice and peace.
“The family and the Foundation have not asked any individual to ask for pardon or clemency for Ken Saro-Wiwa on our behalf, nor are we aware of any group of Ogonis making such a request.”
Meanwhile, the Ijaw National Congress (INC) has called on the Federal Government to apologise to the people of the Ogoni Kingdom, Ijaw nation, and the entire Niger Delta for the wrongful killing of Ken Saro-Wiwa, and eight others.
Also reacting to the proposed state pardon for the killed activist and writer by President Buhari, the President of the INC, Prof Benjamin Okaba, in a statement expressed the motion as laughable.
According to him, “We wonder what crime Ken Saro-Wiwa and others committed that warrants state pardon. Secondly, even if he was allowed the defence, was he given the right of appeal? What are the positive aftermaths of Ken Saro-Wiwa’s agitation? Would there have been the UNEP Report on Ogoni clean-up if Ken Saro-Wiwa and others did not draw the attention of the state and the international community to various human and environmental infractions meted out to the people?
“Now that the Federal Government has suddenly realised its wrongs and equally expressed willingness to seek reconciliation and national integration, we urge them to courageously go the whole hog as follows: bring to book all persons, including the presiding judge and other officers that were, directly and indirectly, involved in the unfortunate incident (murder of the Ogoni 9).
“Justice should also be extended to the innocent Ogoni youth and other Niger Deltans who were unlawfully massacred by state operatives for merely displaying green leaves in condemnation of the ghastly act.”
