History Movement for the Survival of the Ogoni People

1 history

1.1 1990s , ogoni crises
1.2 mid 1990s , execution of ken saro-wiwa , ogoni nine
1.3 1997-present

1.3.1 saro-wiwa vs. shell

history

in 1970, ogoni chiefs , elders of ogoni divisional commission ( w. nzidee, f. yowika, n. ndegwe, e. kobani, o. nalelo, chief a. ngei , o. ngofa), submitted petition local military governor formal complaint against shell, operating joint venture bp. brought notice company threatening well-being, , lives of ogoni.

shell s response petition attempt place development , other responsibilities on company , contentions ... bear little relation taking place .

in july, there major blow-out @ bomu oilfield in ogoni, continued 3 weeks, causing widespread pollution , outrage. p. badom, of dere youths association, issued letter of protest citing:

our rivers, rivulets , creeks covered crude oil wrote dere youths association, no longer breathe natural oxygen, rather inhale lethal , ghastly gases. our water can no longer drunk unless 1 wants test effect of crude oil on body. no longer use vegetables, polluted.

the iko people wrote shell in 1980 demanding compensation , restitution of our rights clean air, water , viable environment can source our means of livelihood .

in 1987, when iko once again held peaceful demonstration against shell, notorious mobile police force (mpf), locally known kill-and-go called, , 40 houses destroyed, 350 people made homeless mpf s attack.

in august 1990, ogoni elders signed ogoni bill of rights, rang political control of ogoni affairs ogoni people, control , use of ogoni economic resources ogoni development, adequate , direct representation of right ogoni people in nigerian national institutions, , right protect ogoni environment , ecology further degradation .

mosop outgrowth of these protest demonstrations in delta. goodluck diigbo, journalist, national president of national youth council of ogoni people, nycop. saro-wiwa had charged him responsibility of establishing 7 of ten affiliates made mosop. before affiliates came being, ken saro-wiwa initiated idea of mosop had attracted mix of educated ogoni elites , chiefs, including first president dr. garrick barile leton . chief e. n. kobani became vice president of mosop.

mosop succeeded in organizing first efforts 1990 ogoni bill of rights addressed government of federal republic , people of nigeria, general ibrahim babangida, former military president of nigeria , members of armed forces ruling council, received no reply demands autonomy. ogoni lists concerns: political autonomy participate in affairs of republic distinct , separate unit (by whatever name called), provided autonomy guarantees political control of ogoni affairs ogoni people; right control , use fair proportion of ogoni economic resources ogoni development; adequate representations, of right, in nigerian national institutions, , right protect ogoni environment , ecology further degradation.

the niger delta brought international attention protest @ shell s facility in umuechem community of etche, east of port harcourt, rivers state on october 30 , 31, 1990. shell requested presence of mpf. incident saw approximately 80 unarmed demonstrators killed , destruction , severe damage of 495 houses nigerian mobile police.

early 1990s , ogoni crises

1992

july 1992 – saro-wiwa addresses united nations working group on indigenous peoples in geneva.
early december 1992 – conflict escalated level of greater seriousness , intensity on both sides. in phase of conflict overt violence applied on large scale nigerian government. in december 1992, mosop sent demands spdc, chevron, , nigerian national petroleum corporation, along ultimatum pay royalties , compensation within thirty days or quit ogoniland. collision course between 2 parties set ultimatum oil companies (shell, chevron, , nigerian national petroleum company), demanded $10 billion in accumulated royalties, damages , compensation, , immediate stoppage of environmental degradation , , negotiations mutual agreement on future drilling. if companies failed comply, ogonis threatened embark on mass action disrupt operations. act, ogonis shifted focus of actions unresponsive federal government oil companies actively engaged in own region. bases assignment of responsibility vast profits accrued oil companies extracting natural wealth of ogoni homeland, none of trickling down ogoni.

1993

january 4 – national government responded banning public gatherings , declaring disturbances of oil production acts of treason. in spite of ban, mosop went ahead massive public mobilization on january 4, 1993. event, called first ogoni day, attracted 300,000 people in massive festivities. on next month mobilization continued, 1 shell employee (out of thousands) beaten ogoni mob. security measure, shell petroleum development company withdrew employees ogoniland. action had mixed consequences. oil extraction territory has slowed trickle of 10,000 barrels per day (1,600 m/d) (.5% of national total). however, because withdrawal temporary security measure, provided government compelling reason restore order : resume flows of oil ogoniland , of oil money national coffers.
february 15–16, 18 – shell international advisors meet shell petroleum development company (spdc) in london , hague consider strategies countering possibility internationally organized protest develop on shell s activities in ogoni.
april 18 – ken saro-wiwa, chairman of resistance group movement survival of ogoni people (mosop) , held nigerian state security service @ port harcourt airport 16 hours without charges, released, arrested 5 days later.
april 30 – construction work on shell s rumuekpe-bomu pipeline destroys freshly planted ogoni farmland sparking peaceful demonstration of approximately 10,000 ogoni villagers. nigerian federal government soldiers open fire on crowd of demonstrators, wounding @ least 10.
may 1 – mass demonstrations along bori road against pipeline construction continue. shell decides withdraw american workers , equipment.
may 3 – agbarator otu shot , killed members of nigerian military while protesting work on pipeline @ nonwa.
may 16 – saro-wiwa has passport seized while trying leave london.
may 18 – amnesty international issues urgent action concerning judicial killing of otu , nigerian government s use of force against peaceful ogoni protests.
may 24 – saro-wiwa begins european tour , succeeds in drawing attention struggle of ogoni people. shell responds international attention , happy discuss these matters further....
june 12 – presidential elections boycotted ogoni. ruptured pipeline begins spray oil in bunu tai, ogoni land. forty days later, flow yet stopped. saro-wiwa prevented traveling un conference in vienna nigerian sss, , passport seized.
june 21 – saro-wiwa , other mosop officials arrested.
june 22 – ogoni people march in bori, in protest against mosop arrests. in reaction, federal government soldiers moved port harcourt , stationed in bori. indiscriminate beatings , arrests of ogoni people heavy[ily] armed , unfriendly nigerian soldiers , police frequent.
june 30 – amnesty international issues fast action concerning saro-wiwa.
july 9 – @ least 60 ogoni people killed, allegedly andoni, when arriving cameroon republic boat. incident marks beginning of ogoni-andoni violence.
mid-july – saro-wiwa moved hospital , later released on bail, charges still stand.
august 5 – kaa first village attacked in andoni-ogoni conflict, resulting in 33 deaths , 8,000 refugees. on coming months, similar incidents occur in on 20 other villages. mosop accuses shell of being behind andoni-ogoni violence.
august 31 – mosop leaders summoned abuja meeting interim government, installed former head of state babangida after annulment of june 12 election results. first time nigerian government officially discussed situation in ogoniland mosop.
beginning september – saro-wiwa, senator birabi, , representatives of rivers state security council visit destroyed village of kaa , urge governor ada george take measures curb andoni-ogoni violence. meetings arranged between andoni , ogoni leaders , government representatives. leads creation of peace committee, headed professor claude ake.
september 15 – general sani abacha promises saro-wiwa federal troops sent ogoniland curb andoni-ogoni violence.
october 6 – peace agreement signed concerning ogoni-andoni troubles, without signature of saro-wiwa, or consultation of communities involved .
october 17 – oil spill @ korokoro oil fields in ogoni, operated shell. baritonle kpormon shot dead @ checkpoint in bori federal soldier has been sent ensure peace @ ogoni-andoni border; bori not @ border. mosop steering committee meeting accepts peace agreement 2 paragraphs, , calls judicial commission of inquiry installed federal government.
october 19 – professor ake, chairman of peace conference, send letter governor ada george, stating not agree peace agreement. according him, drafted in haste , without proper consultation of communities involved.
october 23 – 2 fire trucks spdc seized @ korokoro local inhabitants.
october 25 – 3 ogoni men shot @ korokoro oil fields federal government soldiers accompanying shell workers went retrieve fire trucks. 1 man dies (uebari nna), , 2 wounded (pal sunday , mboo ndike).
november 17 – interim government resigns. general abacha becomes new nigerian head of state.
december 13 – governor ada george replaced lt. col. dauda komo. violent clashes between ogoni , okirika on crowded land @ waterfronts, port harcourt. on 90 people reported dead, many more wounded.
december 28 – prevent start of ogoni week, mosop leaders dr. owen wiwa , ledum mitee, lawyer, arrested without being charged. ogoni assembly dispersed nigerian soldiers. lt. col. komo states ogoni week aborted because mosop did not apply permit.

1994

january 2 – saro-wiwa placed under house arrest.
january 4 – owen wiwa , ledum released , saro-wiwa s house arrest lifted.
january 11 – seven-member commission of inquiry installed rivers state government investigate ogoni-okirika clashes, , starts public sittings in port harcourt.
january 20 – three-member ministerial team starts two-day tour of rivers state investigate hostilities between communities there, part of general inquiry of community clashes. nigerian government worried troubles in oil producing areas.
january 21 – $500 million contract signed in port harcourt between shell nigeria , abb global engineering uk, allowing latter collect gas 10 flow stations in rivers state.
january 24 – 3 major oil companies in port harcourt estimate have lost on $200 million during 1993, due unfavorable conditions in areas of operation , , call urgent measures combat situation.
april – memo sent komo okuntimo, entitled restoration of law , order in ogoniland gave details extensive military presence in ogoni, drawing resources army, air force, navy, , police, including both mobile police force , conventional units. in move meant facilitate reopening of oil installations, 1 of missions of operation ensure carrying out business ventures ... within ogoniland not molested . saro-wiwa, commenting on memo above, said: – going arrest , execute us. shell. following month okuntimo sent restricted memo komo remarking, shell operations still impossible unless ruthless military operations undertaken smooth economic activities commence. counter this, okuntimo recommended: wasting operations during mosop , other gatherings making constant military presence justifiable.
beginning april – small conflict between ogoni , okoloma leads serious clashes; lt. col. komo reported have said soldiers have been directed deal aggressive communities, , if necessary shoot trouble makers. fifteen ogoni people arrested without being charged, including dr. wiwa.

on may 21, 1994, 4 ogoni chiefs (all on conservative side of schism within mosop on strategy) murdered. saro-wiwa, head of opposing faction, had been denied entry ogoniland on day of murders, detained in connection killings. rivers state military administrator lt. col. dauda komo did not wait judicial investigation blame killings on irresponsible , reckless thuggery of mosop element .

led major paul okuntimo of rivers state internal security, claimed searching directly responsible killings of 4 ogonis , witnesses engaged in terror operations against general ogoni population. amnesty international characterized policy deliberate terrorism. mid-june, 30 villages had been destroyed, 600 people had been detained, , @ least 40 had been killed. eventual total of around 100,000 internal refugees , estimated 2,000 civilian deaths recorded.

mid 1990s , execution of ken saro-wiwa , ogoni nine

ken saro-wiwa, n. g. dube , kobari nwilewas arrested in port harcourt in rivers state in eastern nigeria on june 21, 1993. following arrest, ken saro-wiwa, n. g. dube , kobari nwile first transferred lagos, owerri in imo state , port harcourt in prison. 3 charged on 13 july 1993 under criminal code of eastern nigeria in connection activities on behalf of ogoni community. charges on 6 counts relating unlawful assembly, seditious intention , seditious publication. bail not set , 3 remanded in custody until september 20. on june 11, saro-wiwa s passport confiscated @ lagos airport, preventing him traveling vienna represent mosop @ united nations world conference on human rights.

on november 10, 1995, 9 activists movement, barinem kiobel, john kpunien, baribor bera, saturday dobee, felix nwate, nordu eawo, paul levura, , daniel gbokoo along playwright , nobel peace prize nominee ken saro-wiwa, hanged 10 days after being convicted nigerian government on charges of incitement murder of 4 ogoni leaders. in final address military-appointed tribunal, saro-wiwa concludes responsibility of shell corporation , actions war crimes against ogoni people:

i repeat stand before history. , colleagues not ones on trial. shell here on trial , represented counsel said holding watching brief. company has, indeed, ducked particular trial, day surely come , lessons learnt here may prove useful there no doubt in mind ecological war company has waged in delta called question sooner later , crimes of war duly punished. crime of company s dirty wars against ogoni people punished.

excerpt from:  trial speech of ken saro-wiwa. wikisource. 

his death provoked international outrage , immediate suspension of nigeria commonwealth of nations calling of many foreign diplomats consultation. according nigerian medical association s president, these fastest executions in west african nation s history. nigerian human rights activists , opposition groups had longed urged commonwealth , united states impose economic sanctions on nigerian government. argued opportune time turn screws on nigeria s military government boycotting oil. united states, buys half of nigeria s oil, declined through press statement.

compelling new evidence suggests nigerian military killed 4 ogoni elders murders led execution of playwright , activist ken saro-wiwa in 1995. evidence reveals notorious military commander lieutenant-colonel paul okuntimo, troops implicated in other crimes, in pay of shell @ time of killings , driven around in shell vehicle.

1997-present

on january 4, 1998, ogoni national day, rivers state internal security task force (rvistf), arrests dozens of activists , raided several villages.

saro-wiwa vs. shell

on november 10, 2014, mosop president legborsi saro pyagbara, @ 19th anniversary commemoration of ogoni martyrs held in port harcourt, rivers state, called on federal government clear late activist, ken saro-wiwa, , other 9 ogoni people executed general sani abacha s government murder. pyagbara recalled un, monitored trial of saro-wiwa , ogoni nine, observed returned verdict did not follow known local or international standard.