By Deborah Coker
The Ijaw National Congress (INC) on Thursday joined the global call for the formal exoneration of Ken Saro-Wiwa and the Ogoni eight of the allegations for which they were convicted and executed.
Prof. Benjamin Okaba, Global President, INC, made the call in his Solidarity message on the 30th anniversary of the execution of the Ogoni nine.
Saro-Wiwa and eight other Ogoni activists, known as the “Ogoni Nine,” were executed by the Nigerian military government in November 1995 following a trial.
“They were convicted of being complicit in the murders of four rival Ogoni chiefs and had been campaigning against environmental damage and the exploitation of oil resources by the Shell Oil Company in their homeland.
The executions drew international condemnation and led to sanctions against Nigeria.
According to Okaba, on this symbolic 30th anniversary, our remembrance must be more than a ritual; it must be a re-dedication to the cause for which they died. We hereby reaffirm and amplify the demands of the Ogoni people and the broader Niger Delta.
“We join the global call for the formal exoneration and Justice (Not Pardon) of Ken Saro-Wiwa and the Ogoni eight.”
He also called for a full, transparent, and criminal investigation into Shell’s complicity in the human rights violations in Ogoniland, as called for by organisations like Amnesty International.
“We also call for the immediate and credible cleanup of Ogoniland, as recommended by UNEP. The exercises should be placed under a credible, internationally-managed body to ensure it is effective and accountable.
“We are also demand that Shell and other oil companies be held legally and financially liable for the destruction they have caused.
“The Ijaw nation stands with the Ogoni in their for the right to benefit from the resources of their land.
“We echo the call for the repeal of obnoxious laws like the Land Use Act and the Petroleum Act, which deny us the beneficial ownership of our resources,” he added.
The INC global president noted that the spirit of the Saro-Wiwa lives on.
According to him, it lives on in the continued peaceful resistance of the Ogoni people, in the work of environmental defenders across the globe, and in our unwavering commitment at the INCto champion the Ijaw cause.
“We will continue to constructively engage the state, the International Oil Companies (IOCs), and international agencies to demand sociopolitical inclusiveness, environmental remediation, and infrastructural development.
“To the family of Ken Saro-Wiwa, especially his daughter, Noo Saro-Wiwa, and to the families of the other eight martyrs, we say: Your pain is our pain. Your loss is our loss. Your steadfastness is our inspiration.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that President Bola Tinubu granted a posthumous pardon to Saro-Wiwa and eight other activists who were executed in 1995.
The pardon, announced in June 2025, was granted in conjunction with conferring national honors on the activists.
(NAN)