Human rights activist, Omoyele Sowore, has faulted President Muhammadu Buhari’s proposed posthumous state pardon for the late environmental activist, Ken Saro-Wiwa and others executed in the height of the Ogoni crisis in the 1990s.
President Buhari recently hinted about a possible posthumous state pardon for Saro-Wiwa and others executed by the General Sani Abacha dictatorial regime.
The group, which became known as Ogoni 9, were activists from the Ogoni region who opposed the operating practices of the Royal Dutch Shell oil corporation.
They were author and playwright Ken Saro-Wiwa, Saturday Dobee, Nordu Eawo, Daniel Gbooko, Paul Levera, Felix Nuate, Baribor Bera, Barinem Kiobel, and John Kpuine.
They were tried by a special military tribunal for allegedly masterminding the murder of Ogoni chiefs at a pro-government meeting, and hanged in 1995 by the military dictatorship of General Abacha.
However, Sowore on Sunday said Saro-Wiwa never committed a crime, noting that an innocent person cannot be pardoned.
Sowore, who disclosed this on Twitter, stressed that Muhammadu Buhari is the one who once carried out a coup, which is a treasonable offence for which he has yet to be tried.
“Ken Saro-Wiwa never committed a crime. You can’t pardon any innocent person! Muhammadu Buhari is the one who once carried out a coup – a treasonable offence for which he’s yet to be tried!
The activist also queried Buhari for scheduling the next trial date for Nnamdi Kanu, leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) for November 10, the same date Abacha murdered the Ogoni 9 in 1995.
“Why did Muhammadu Buhari schedule the next sham trial date for Mazi Nnamdi Kanu for November 10th, the same day Sani Abacha murdered Ken Saro-Wiwa and 8 other Ogonis in 1995? #RevolutionNow.”
SaharaReporters had earlier reported that the people of Ogoni land in the Niger Delta region of the country rejected any plan by the President Buhari government to grant state pardon to the late renowned activist, Saro-Wiwa.
This was made known by Owens Wiwa, brother of the late activist on Friday.
Owens stated that “the Ogoni people demand that the Buhari government exonerates Ken Saro-Wiwa and not grant him a pardon.”
