The group is also calling for compensation for their families and the establishment of a national monument in honor of Saro-Wiwa.
The Clean Environmental Foundation (CEF), an environmental advocacy group, has urged President Bola Tinubu to grant a state pardon to the late Ken Saro-Wiwa and other Ogoni leaders who were executed during the military regime of General Sani Abacha. The group is also calling for compensation for their families and for a national monument to be named in honor of Saro-Wiwa. In a statement released on Tuesday, CEF condemned Saro-Wiwa’s execution as a “judicial murder” and urged the Nigerian government to take corrective action.
Isaac Omomedia, the Executive Director of CEF, emphasized the need for justice and for the Nigerian government to acknowledge the suffering and marginalization of the Ogoni people. Omomedia also highlighted that the return of oil exploration to Ogoniland should not take precedence over rebuilding the trust between the Ogoni people and the Nigerian authorities. He warned the government against prioritizing profit over justice.
Ken Saro-Wiwa, a celebrated writer, environmentalist, and activist, was executed on November 10, 1995, along with eight other Ogoni leaders after a controversial military tribunal found them guilty of the deaths of four Ogoni chiefs. The trial was widely regarded as a sham aimed at silencing opposition. Saro-Wiwa had led the Movement for the Survival of the Ogoni People (MOSOP), a peaceful campaign against the environmental devastation caused by oil companies, particularly Shell, in Ogoniland. His activism brought global attention to the environmental crisis in the Niger Delta.
Despite international condemnation, including from South African leader Nelson Mandela, the Abacha regime went ahead with the executions, leading to Nigeria’s suspension from the Commonwealth and various diplomatic sanctions. In its statement, CEF reiterated the need to rectify the injustice done to Saro-Wiwa and the Ogoni Nine. Omomedia appealed to President Tinubu to act courageously in restoring trust with the Ogoni people, which would earn the support of the Niger Delta region.
The group also called for a national monument to honor Saro-Wiwa’s legacy as a peace-loving individual who never resorted to violence. Omomedia stated that Saro-Wiwa’s execution remains a dark chapter in Nigeria’s history. Meanwhile, Ogoniland continues to suffer from environmental degradation due to decades of oil exploration, with oil spills, gas flaring, and the destruction of farmlands and fishing waters still affecting local communities. Despite promises of cleanup by the government, progress has been slow, and the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) reported in 2011 that urgent remediation was needed. However, many in the region believe that both the government and oil companies have failed to adequately address the ongoing environmental and social issues.