Three decades after he was executed under a military regime, Nigerian environmental activist Ken Saro-Wiwa has been granted a posthumous pardon by President Bola Tinubu, alongside eight others who were executed with him in 1995. The decision marks a historic, if complicated, moment in Nigeria’s reckoning with its past.
The group, known as the Ogoni Nine, were hanged after being convicted of murder by a secret tribunal during the regime of General Sani Abacha. Their deaths sparked international outrage and led to Nigeria’s suspension from the Commonwealth. Many believed the executions had less to do with murder and more with silencing dissent against oil pollution in the oil-rich Niger Delta.
Ken Saro-Wiwa, a writer, television producer, and tireless advocate for environmental justice, led the Movement for the Survival of the Ogoni People (MOSOP) in peaceful protests against the devastating impact of oil extraction by multinational companies—particularly Shell—in Ogoniland. The movement accused oil firms of contaminating farmland and water sources, leaving local communities impoverished and displaced.
Although Shell has consistently denied involvement in the arrests or executions of the Ogoni Nine, the company’s legacy in the region remains contentious. Legal battles and compensation claims have continued, including a 2021 Dutch court ruling that forced Shell to compensate farmers for oil spills, and ongoing litigation in the UK over decades of environmental damage.
In a speech delivered during Nigeria’s annual Democracy Day, President Tinubu described the pardon as an effort to honor those who had made “outstanding contributions to the nation’s democracy.” Alongside the pardon, national honors were bestowed on all nine men: Ken Saro-Wiwa, Barinem Kiobel, John Kpuinen, Baribor Bera, Felix Nuate, Paul Levula, Saturday Dobee, Nordu Eawo, and Daniel Gbokoo.
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For many, the gesture represents a long-overdue acknowledgment of the injustice the men faced. MOSOP welcomed the move, calling it a “courageous act.” But the organization—and several family members of the executed activists—believe the government still hasn’t gone far enough.
Barinem Kiobel’s widow, for instance, expressed appreciation for the honor but called on the Nigerian government to go a step further and declare the men innocent. “A pardon is not given to the innocent,” she said in an interview with the BBC. “We want a retrial that clears their names, not just a symbolic gesture.”
Amnesty International echoed this sentiment, stating that clemency “falls far short of the justice the Ogoni Nine need.” The rights organization urged Nigerian authorities to take stronger action to hold oil companies accountable for the ongoing environmental degradation in the Niger Delta.
The story of the Ogoni Nine remains one of the most powerful symbols of environmental resistance in Africa. While the recent pardon may help soothe some wounds, for many, true justice lies in the full exoneration of the men—and a commitment to restoring the land they fought to protect.
