Prominent voices from Ogoniland have rejected the presidential pardon and national honours recently conferred on environmental activist Ken Saro-Wiwa and the eight others executed alongside him in 1995. The Ogoni people are instead demanding full exoneration, insisting that a pardon does not address the injustice meted out to their heroes.
President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, had on Thursday, as part of activities marking Democracy Day, posthumously granted presidential pardons and national honours to the “Ogoni Nine,” recognizing their contribution to Nigeria’s environmental justice movement. But the gesture has been met with mixed reactions, especially from Ogoni leaders and civil society advocates.
Dr. Fyneface Dumnamene Fyneface, Executive Director of the Youths and Environmental Advocacy Centre (YEAC), in a strongly worded statement, said while the recognition of the Ogoni Nine’s nonviolent activism was appreciated, the mode of redress was flawed.
“We reject the pardon approach adopted by the federal government and instead call on President Tinubu to direct the Attorney General of the Federation to review the trial of the Ogoni Nine through a constituted judicial commission of enquiry with the aim of exonerating them,” Dr. Fyneface said.
He further urged the government to extend honours to the lesser-known “Ogoni Four” who were also killed during the crisis and called the pardon “insufficient” in addressing the historical injustice.
Former Rivers State Attorney General, Barr. Worgu Boms, however, highlighted legal limitations.
“There is no provision for exoneration whatsoever under our laws. Specifically, none in the Constitution,” he said.
“What we have is pardon, and once given, it wipes off everything, including any stigma attached to the beneficiary.”
But many Ogoni activists argue that while the Constitution may not provide for exoneration, a judicial review or commission of enquiry could reopen the case and clear the names of those they believe were wrongly condemned.
Celestine Akpobari, a veteran environmentalist, offered a stinging rebuke of the government’s gesture:
“It is the Government of Nigeria that deserves a pardon from the Ogoni people. When time reach, we go do am.”
Another Ogoni leader, Benjamin Ngongwia, described the recognition as “well-deserved” but added that, “Ken Saro-Wiwa deserves not just a pardon, but a full exoneration for the sake of future generations.”
Even among legal experts, there is growing discussion on whether the Nigerian state can through moral obligation or political will institute a judicial mechanism to exonerate the Ogoni Nine posthumously.
Meanwhile, Epaabari Evidence, a community advocate, questioned whether the Federal Government should also consider issuing a formal apology and providing compensation to the families of the deceased.
“Is there no provision for apology? Government should apologize and compensate,” he said.
As the clamour grows, it is becoming clear that while the pardon may be a step forward, for many in Ogoni and beyond, justice remains incomplete without a formal exoneration a clean slate for those whose struggle shaped Nigeria’s environmental and human rights history.
