The Movement for the Survival of the Ogoni People (MOSOP) has applauded President Bola Tinubu for granting a posthumous presidential pardon to the nine Ogoni activists executed under the late General Sani Abacha’s military regime in 1995.
But while the group described the move as a bold step toward justice, it insists the journey is not yet complete.
In a statement issued on Thursday, June 12, by MOSOP President, Fegalo Nsuke, the organisation hailed the pardon as “a historic and courageous act of national reckoning” and a crucial step toward healing decades of hurt endured by the Ogoni people.
“President Tinubu has distinguished himself by responding with compassion and boldness to a long-standing demand for justice from marginalised people,” Nsuke said.
Those pardoned include renowned environmental activist Ken Saro-Wiwa, along with Nubari Kiobel, Nordu Eawo, Saturday Doobee, John Kpuinen, Paul Levura, Daniel Gbokoo, Felix Nuate, and Baribor Bera, collectively known as the Ogoni Nine.
They were executed after a controversial trial many have condemned as politically motivated and deeply flawed.
Nsuke welcomed Tinubu’s acknowledgment that the executions “should never have happened,” noting that this recognition has been received with gratitude in Nigeria and across the world.
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However, he stressed that while a pardon is appreciated, it still implies wrongdoing, something he believes the Ogoni Nine were never guilty of.
“While the presidential pardon is an important milestone, it inherently suggested that a crime was committed and forgiven. In the case of Ken Saro-Wiwa and his compatriots, no crime ever took place.
“Their convictions were the result of a deeply flawed, politically motivated process lacking in fairness or due process,”Nsuke said.
To truly right the wrongs of the past, Nsuke urged President Tinubu to go further by establishing a Judicial Commission of Inquiry to fully exonerate the men and clear their names once and for all.
“Such an exoneration would be a stronger moral and legal correction, ensuring that their names are no longer burdened by the stain of injustice,” he said.
He added, “The establishment of a Judicial Commission of Inquiry to investigate and formally repudiate the irregularities of the 1995 tribunal would be a landmark act of complete restorative justice, one that would further cement President Tinubu’s legacy as a leader not only of courage but of conscience.”