Mid 1990s and the Execution of Ken Saro-Wiwa and the Ogoni Nine Movement for the Survival of the Ogoni People

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.