President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has conferred national honours and granted a full state pardon to Ken Saro-Wiwa and the eight other members of the Ogoni Nine, nearly three decades after their execution the regime of late General Sani Abacha.
The president made the announcement on Thursday during a joint sitting of the national assembly to commemorate the celebration of Democracy Day, June 12.
During his address at the session, President Tinubu posthumously awarded Saro-Wiwa the Commander of the Order of the Niger (CON), while his fellow Ogoni activists —Saturday Dobee, Nordu Eawo, Daniel Gbooko, Paul Levera, Felix Nuate, Baribor Bera, Barinem Kiobel, and John Kpuine — were each honoured with the Officer of the Order of the Niger (OON).
The president in exercising his power of prerogative of mercy granted all the nine activists a full and unconditional pardon.
“I shall also be exercising my powers under the prerogative of mercy to grant these national heroes a full pardon, together with others whose names shall be announced later in conjunction with the National Council of State,” Tinubu said.
The execution of the Ogoni Nine on November 10, 1995, sparked international outrage and led to Nigeria’s suspension from the Commonwealth.
Their deaths, widely condemned as judicial murder, became a global symbol of the struggle against environmental injustice and authoritarian repression.
Saro-Wiwa, a writer and environmental activist, led a non-violent campaign against the environmental degradation of Ogoniland by oil companies, particularly Shell, and the neglect of the region by successive Nigerian governments.
The pardon and recognition come after decades of demands for justice by local and international human rights groups.
