Thirty years after the execution of Ken Saro-Wiwa and eight other Ogoni leaders, the Ogoni Youth Federation (OYF) has issued a final ultimatum to the Nigerian government, demanding the immediate and unconditional release of the Ken Saro-Wiwa Memorial Bus.
According to the signed statement shared to TCPN dated Monday, November 10, it was indicated that the memorial bus has been detained at the Lagos port since 2015.
The group, in a statement released to mark the 30th anniversary of the Ogoni Nine’s execution, described the prolonged seizure of the artwork as “a violation of the Ogoni people’s right to commemorate their history and a dishonour to the memory of our martyrs.”
The Ken Saro-Wiwa Memorial Bus, a mobile monument commissioned in 2005 by Platform-London and designed by internationally acclaimed sculptor Sokari Douglas Camp CBE, was intended for permanent installation in Bori, the traditional headquarters of the Ogoni people.
The bus, which bears the inscription “I accuse the oil companies of genocide,” was created to honour the courage, activism, and sacrifice of Ken Saro-Wiwa and his fellow Ogoni leaders who were executed on 10 November 1995 by the Nigerian military regime of General Sani Abacha.
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According to the OYF, the detention of the memorial bus for nearly a decade “represents the continued silencing of voices that fought for environmental justice and human rights in Ogoniland.”
“This symbol of peace and remembrance has been held hostage, its message silenced, its purpose denied,” the statement read. “We issue a final ultimatum: the Ken Saro-Wiwa Memorial Bus must be released unconditionally before November 30, 2025.”
The youth body reiterated its commitment to non-violence, environmental protection, and human rights, stressing that the demand was a “moral imperative” rather than a political threat.
Quoting the artist Sokari Douglas Camp, the OYF reminded authorities that the monument represents “a call for freedom of expression to honour those who have fought for justice in Ogoniland and those continuing the struggle today.”
Ken Saro-Wiwa, a writer and environmental activist, led the Movement for the Survival of the Ogoni People (MOSOP) in a peaceful campaign against environmental degradation caused by oil exploration in the Niger Delta.
His execution, along with eight others, Dr. Barinem Kiobel, John Kpuinen, Saturday Dobee, Nordu Eawo, Daniel Gbokoo, Felix Nuate, Paul Levura, and Baribor Bera — drew global outrage and led to Nigeria’s temporary suspension from the Commonwealth.
Thirty years on, Ogoni youths say the struggle for justice, dignity, and environmental restoration remains unfinished.
“History is watching. The world is listening,” the statement concluded. “The time to act is now.”
