In a landmark move toward national reconciliation, President Bola Ahmed Tinubu on Thursday granted a posthumous pardon to the Ogoni Nine—a group of environmental activists executed in 1995 under the military regime of General Sani Abacha.
The President made the announcement during a special Democracy Day address to a joint session of the National Assembly. He described the executions as “a deep scar on the conscience of the nation” and paid tribute to the men’s unwavering commitment to justice and environmental rights in the oil-rich Niger Delta.
Leading the group was Ken Saro-Wiwa, the acclaimed writer and environmentalist, who was posthumously awarded the national honour of Commander of the Order of the Niger (CON). The eight others—Barinem Kiobel, John Kpuinen, Baribor Bera, Felix Nuate, Paul Levula, Saturday Dobee, Nordu Eawo, and Daniel Gbokoo—were each conferred the Officer of the Order of the Niger (OON).
“Their unjust execution should never have happened,” President Tinubu declared. “Today, we correct the record and honour their courage in the face of tyranny.”
The announcement was met with a standing ovation in the legislative chamber and hailed by civil society groups as a long overdue step toward justice and healing for the Ogoni people and the Niger Delta region.
Human rights organizations say the gesture may mark a turning point in the federal government’s relationship with the communities long marginalized by environmental degradation and political neglect.
