29 Years After, Tinubu to Honour Saro-Wiwa

Deji Elumoye in Abuja 

President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has resolved to honour the late Ken Saro-Wiwa and eight others, who made the ultimate sacrifice in defence of the Ogoni people’s interests in 1995.

In a special message to commemorate the 29th Ogoni Martyrs Remembrance Day, Tinubu, in a release by his spokesperson, Bayo Onanuga, solidarised with the National Youth Council of Ogoni People (NYCOP) and all Ogoni citizens.

He stressed his government’s commitment to fostering dialogue, reconciliation, and healing among all ethnic nationalities in Nigeria.

This year’s commemoration, themed, “After Price, Comes Prise,” was conceived to reflect the nation’s collective commitment to acknowledging the pain and the lessons of the past as the people aspired for a brighter future.

Tinubu stated the regarding the “Ogoni 9”, in his message, “We honour their memory by recognising the sacrifices made and pledging to strive for a future characterised by peace, justice, and sustainable development for all communities, particularly those in the Niger Delta.”

The president reaffirmed that his administration would actively address historical grievances and work towards building a united and prosperous nation for future generations. 

He said the vision would be realised through constructive engagement and mutual respect.

“As we remember the Ogoni Martyrs, let us honour their legacy by committing to a future where such injustices are no longer tolerated and where the voices of all Nigerians are heard and respected,” Tinubu said. 

Oil was explored in Ogoniland for many years. The struggles of Ogoni leaders to protect their environment from harmful oil exploration were met with severe repression, culminating in the tragic execution of Saro-Wiwa and eight other leaders in 1995.

Saro-Wiwa co-founded MOSOP, short for the Movement for the Survival of the Ogoni People, in the 1990s.

The group argued that oil production had devastated the region’s environment, while bringing no benefit to its 500,000 people. 

Saro-Wiwa accused Shell of turning what was once an area of unspoilt natural beauty into a grubby black moonscape. This was as oil from dilapidated pipelines and pumping stations seeped into the soil and destroyed farmlands and water sources.

For local residents, therefore, Nigeria’s oil reserves had not brought affluence, but poverty and disease. 

The Ogoni took up the peaceful fight against Shell and the Nigerian military regime. In 1993, Shell abandoned Ogoniland and had not been back since. 

That triumph turned Saro-Wiwa and his acolytes into a real menace for the then General Sani Abacha military dictatorship. 

Abacha had Saro-Wiwa arrested in 1994, on the trumped-up charge of being responsible for the death of four other Ogoni leaders.  

Saro-Wiwa and the eight others were hanged on November 10, 1995, but their execution instantly became a symbol for environmental protection and human rights.