A prominent environmental advocacy group has called on President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to posthumously declare the late Ogoni leader, Kenule Beeson Saro-Wiwa, a national hero and grant him a state pardon.
In a statement issued by the Executive Director of Clean Environmental Foundation (CEF), Isaac Omomedia, the group also urged the Nigerian government to name a national monument after Saro-Wiwa and compensate his family.
Saro-Wiwa, a renowned environmental activist, was executed alongside eight other Ogoni leaders in November 1995 under the military regime of General Sani Abacha. His arrest and subsequent execution followed accusations of orchestrating the killing of four Ogoni chiefs—charges widely viewed as politically motivated.
The group emphasized the deep pain and marginalization felt by the Ogoni people due to Saro-Wiwa’s death, stressing that rebuilding trust between the Nigerian government and the Ogoni community should take precedence over oil exploration in the region.
“The return of oil exploration in Ogoni is not as important as building broken trust between the Ogoni and the Nigerian authorities,” Omomedia stated. “The government should not give the impression that it is more interested in profit than justice.”
Saro-Wiwa was a writer, teacher, poet, television producer, and human rights activist who championed the fight against environmental degradation in the Niger Delta. His trial and execution drew international condemnation, including strong opposition from global leaders such as then-South African President Nelson Mandela.
Omomedia urged President Tinubu to demonstrate bold leadership by granting Saro-Wiwa and his co-activists a state pardon, adding that such a move would restore faith in the government and earn Tinubu widespread support in the Niger Delta.
“President Tinubu should do the right thing. He will instantly enjoy the support of the Ogoni people and the entire Niger Delta if he can be courageous enough to reclaim the lost trust between Ogoni and the Nigerian state,” he said.
The group reiterated its call for a national monument to be named in Saro-Wiwa’s honor, ensuring his legacy as a defender of environmental justice endures.
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