Nigerian President Tinubu's pardon of 'Ogoni Nine' draws ethnic group's rejection
- On June 17, 2025, Nigerian President Bola Tinubu pardoned Ken Saro-Wiwa and the other Ogoni Nine activists, issuing national honors posthumously.
- The Ogoni Nine were executed in 1995 after a secret military tribunal convicted them of murdering four pro-government Ogoni chiefs amid protests against oil pollution.
- The activists had led peaceful protests accusing Shell and other oil companies of polluting Ogoniland, causing severe environmental damage affecting local livelihoods.
- Shell denies responsibility for spills between 1989 and 2020, blaming sabotage and theft, while courts in Nigeria and abroad have at times ruled in its favor despite ongoing claims.
- The pardons sparked mixed reactions, with some relatives praising the act and Amnesty International stating it falls far short of full justice and accountability for environmental harms.
27 Articles
27 Articles
The Nigerian government has posthumously pardoned environmental activist Ken Saro-Wiwa and the other eight men who were executed by the military junta almost 30 years ago.
Amnesty International: Nigeria pardon for executed activists “falls far short of real justice”
International human rights organization Amnesty International on Friday said that the Nigerian government’s pardon for the Ogoni Nine falls “far short of real justice”. The human rights organization published the statement in response to the government’s decision on Wednesday to exonerate the group. The Ogoni Nine were a group of environmental activists in Nigeria, which heavily criticized the oil company Shell and the government for the destruc…
Nigeria has posthumously pardoned nine activists who were executed after criticizing Shell. Supporters call this deception, because it would imply that the men did something wrong. They are nine environmental activists known as the Ogoni Nine, including the renowned writer Ken Saro-Wiwa. Together they fought against the polluting oil industry in the Niger Delta, in particular against the then partly Dutch Shell. In 1995, under the regime of Gene…
Ken Saro-Wiwa Receives Pardon 30 Years After Hanging
Three decades after his execution by Nigeria's military regime, Ken Saro-Wiwa has been pardoned. President Bola Tinubu conferred national honors Thursday on Saro-Wiwa, who had been convicted of murder, and the eight activists he was hanged with in 1995. There were suspicions that the Ogoni Nine were killed for leading...
Nigerian President Tinubu's pardon of 'Ogoni Nine' draws ethnic group's rejection
Nigeria's Ogoni activists on Friday rejected a posthumous pardon for nine members executed three decades ago by a military dictatorship, criticising President Bola Tinubu's move as inadequate and perpetuating injustice.
Associated Press News
Nigerian leader's pardon of executed Ogoni activists draws criticisms
Nigeria’s President Bola Tinubu posthumously pardoned nine environmental activists executed 30 years ago by the military junta ruling the country at the time.
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