Sowore Warns FG Against Repeating Saro-Wiwa Injustice Ahead Of Kanu Ruling

Human rights activist and former presidential candidate, Omoyele Sowore, has urged the Nigerian government not to repeat the mistakes that led to the execution of Ken Saro-Wiwa and eight other Ogoni activists 30 years ago.

Sowore, in a statement on Monday, said Nigeria has failed to learn from its history of political repression, recalling that Saro-Wiwa and his colleagues were executed in 1995 after what he described as a “sham trial” under the military regime of General Sani Abacha.

He warned that the upcoming court ruling on the case of detained IPOB leader, Nnamdi Kanu, scheduled for November 20, 2025, could mirror past injustices if handled unfairly.

“Despite the lessons of 1995, Nigeria and its leaders have not changed. Another life may again be endangered in the name of political expediency. We honour Ken Saro-Wiwa’s memory and must ensure such tragedies never happen again,” Sowore said.

The activist said the execution of the Ogoni Nine remains one of Nigeria’s darkest chapters, adding that justice and respect for human rights must guide the country’s democratic process.

Meanwhile, Amnesty International has renewed its call for the full exoneration of the Ogoni Nine, saying the government’s posthumous pardon granted in June 2025 was not enough.

In a statement marking the 30th anniversary of the killings, Amnesty’s Nigeria Country Director, Isa Sanusi, said the men were executed for challenging the environmental destruction caused by oil companies in Ogoniland.

Sanusi said the Ogoni Nine, led by Saro-Wiwa, were victims of a campaign to silence peaceful resistance against oil pollution in the Niger Delta. “Their friends and families have suffered long enough. They deserve justice and full exoneration,” he said.

Families of the executed activists, including Esther Kiobel, widow of Dr. Barinem Kiobel, continue to push for justice and accountability, accusing Shell of complicity in the events that led to their deaths.

The anniversary of their execution coincides with the opening of the UN Climate Conference (COP 30) in Brazil, where global attention is again focused on environmental justice and corporate accountability.