President Bola Tinubu has granted a full presidential posthumous pardon to Ken Saro Wiwa and eight other members of the Ogoni Nine — environmental activists who were executed by the regime of former military Head of State, the late Sani Abacha, in 1995.
Announcing the decision during his address to a joint session of the National Assembly on Thursday, as part of the Democracy Day celebrations, Tinubu described the nine men as “national heroes.”
He exercised his powers under the Prerogative of Mercy.
The president also conferred national honours on the late activists. Ken Saro Wiwa was posthumously awarded the Commander of the Order of the Niger (CON), while his eight kinsmen were each awarded the Officer of the Order of the Niger (OON).
The other members of the Ogoni Nine are:
Saturday Dobee, Nordu Eawo, Daniel Gbooko, Paul Levera, Felix Nuate, Baribor Bera, Barinem Kiobel, and John Kpuine.
Tinubu said:
“Furthermore, I also confer posthumous national honours on Ken Saro Wiwa (CON), the leader of the Ogoni Nine, and his fellow travellers, Saturday Dobee (OON), Nordu Eawo (OON), Daniel Gbooko (OON), Paul Levera (OON), Felix Nuate (OON), Baribor Bera (OON), Barinem Kiobel (OON), and John Kpuine (OON).
“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.”
The execution of the Ogoni Nine in 1995, following allegations of murder, sparked widespread outrage from civil society organisations and the international community.
