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Nigeria’s President Tinubu Posthumously Pardons Environmental Activists Ken Saro-Wiwa and Ogoni Nine Executed Under Abacha Regime

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Updated Jul 4, 2025, 01:30 PM

Nigerian President Bola Tinubu has posthumously pardoned environmental activist Ken Saro-Wiwa and eight other members of the Ogoni Nine, who were executed in 1995 under the military regime of General Sani Abacha. The Ogoni Nine were convicted of murder and hanged for their protests against oil companies operating in the Niger Delta. The Movement for the Survival of the Ogoni People welcomed the pardon, viewing it as a recognition of their sacrifice. However, Amnesty International criticized the pardon, stating it falls short of full justice and called for a formal exoneration to acknowledge their innocence.

The family of Ken Saro-Wiwa has also requested a review of the trial that led to their execution. The pardon has elicited mixed reactions, including rejection from some ethnic groups and activists who maintain that the Ogoni Nine were wrongfully convicted. The decision comes 30 years after the executions, marking a symbolic gesture by the Nigerian government to address the legacy of the Abacha regime's actions against environmental and human rights activists.

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