Saro-Wiwa Family Rejects Buhari’s Planned State Pardon, Demands Exoneration Of Slain Ogoni Activists

President Muhammadu Buhari’s plan to grant state pardon to the late environmental activist, Ken Saro-Wiwa, amongst others, has been rejected by the Saro-Wiwa family.

THE WHISTLER reported last week that President Buhari told leaders of Ogoni land during a visit to the State House that his administration was considering a post-humous pardon for Saro-Wiwa and eight other Ogoni activists executed on November 10, 1995 by the Sani Abacha-led military administration.

According to Buhari, the move was part of his administration’s bid to “lay the foundation for genuine reconciliation and bring closure to the issues of Ogoni Land.”

The Abacha regime had accused Saro-Wiwa and others of coordinating the murder of four Ogoni chiefs at a pro-government meeting and subsequently sentenced them to death after a trial by a special military tribunal.

Saro-Wiwa had at the time led a non-violent campaign against environmental degradation of Ogoniland by multinational petroleum companies.

President Buhari had told the Ogoni leaders during their visit that despite the late activists’ alleged “grievous” offences, the federal government will “consider the request for the grant of pardon to finally close the Ogoni saga.”

But reacting on Sunday through the Ken Saro-Wiwa Foundation, the Saro-Wiwa family said their son and the eight other slain activists “were not criminals” but were “illegally executed by the Nigerian Military Dictatorship of Sani Abacha on November 10 1995 after a sham trial.”

A statement issued by the foundation’s board of directors and signed by Owens Wiwa reads: “They (the activists) were innocent activists unjustly murdered for fighting for a just cause on behalf of their oppressed community.

“The path to true peace in the region begins with justice. The cleaning up of the environment for which they campaigned and died for is a first good step.

“The exoneration of Ken Saro-Wiwa and 8 other Ogoni activists, judicially murdered on November 10 1995 is another step towards peace.

“The family of Ken Saro-Wiwa have made a request for the exoneration of Ken Saro-Wiwa to the President in the past and are still waiting for a response. We urge the President to again consider this request as a path to justice and peace.

“The family and the Foundation have not asked any individual to ask for pardon or clemency for Ken Saro-Wiwa on our behalf, nor are we aware of any group of Ogonis making such a request.”