By Ighomuaye Lucky. O
Nigeria’s president, Bola Ahmed Tinubu has granted a presidential pardon to the late activist, Ken Saro-Wiwa who was executed 30 years ago.
Besides Saro-Wiwa, eight other Ogoni activists were also granted pardon.
Recall that Ken Saro-Wiwa, a Nigerian writer and environmental activist, was executed by the Nigerian military dictatorship led by General Sani Abacha in 1995.
He was convicted of the murder of four Ogoni chiefs, but his execution was widely seen as a political act to silence him and crush his movement for the Ogoni people’s rights, particularly regarding the environmental damage caused by oil exploration.
The other activists executed were Saturday Dobee, Nordu Eawo, Daniel Gbooko, Baribor Bera, Barinem Kiobel, Paul Levera, Felix Nuate, and John Kpuine.
The president granted the presidential pardon on Thursday at a ceremony to mark this year’s Democracy Day celebrations.
He also conferred national honours on the Ogoni Nine.
Tinubu also conferred posthumous national honours on former Nigerian President Shehu Musa Yar’Adua, the late Kudirat Abiola, Bola Ige and other nationalists.
