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OPINION: Saro Wiwa, Eight Ogoni Posthumous Pardon, And The New Drill Dream

Published

11 months ago

July 2, 2025

By Israel Adebiyi

There is an old Greek tale—the story of King Priam, who welcomed a majestic wooden horse into the city of Troy, not knowing it hid the enemy. A gift, yes—but a deadly one. That tale birthed the phrase “beware of Greeks bearing gifts,” a timeless warning against generosity that masks darker motives. Today, Nigeria may confront its own version of this tale in the posthumous pardon granted to Ken Saro-Wiwa and the Ogoni Nine.

In 1995, Nigeria etched its name into the black book of global conscience by executing Ken Saro-Wiwa and eight other Ogoni activists. Their crime? Daring to challenge environmental exploitation and demand accountability from multinational oil companies and the Nigerian state. Their voices, though silenced by death, became louder in memory. The world mourned. The nation retreated into silence. For nearly thirty years, the injustice of their execution remained a scar on Nigeria’s soul.

Now, in what appears to be an act of national atonement, President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s administration has granted a posthumous state pardon. But one must ask—what exactly is being pardoned? And who benefits from this symbolism?

MORE FROM THE AUTHOR: OPINION: NNPCL, Abiku, And The National Rip-off

Pardons, by nature, imply mercy extended to the guilty. But the Ogoni Nine were not criminals. They were environmental defenders whose only offence was demanding justice. To pardon them without acknowledging the wrongful convictions that led to their deaths is to miss the point entirely. It is to offer a flower where fire is needed. It is to gift-wrap amnesia.

But context is everything. Beyond the moral theatre lies a quiet but consequential move by the Federal Government: the renewed push to recommence oil exploration in Ogoniland. Recent reports have hinted at behind-the-scenes negotiations and administrative groundwork to revive oil drilling in this land that has seen more spills than dividends. Suddenly, the pardon begins to resemble less a national apology and more a strategic peace offering—a political anesthetic before economic surgery.

Could this be Nigeria’s Trojan Horse?

The Niger Delta, and particularly Ogoniland, remains a powder keg of environmental trauma and distrust. The land that birthed Ken Saro-Wiwa remains largely untouched by justice. The UNEP report of 2011, which mapped out a detailed path for environmental restoration, has been slow-walked, politicized, and underfunded. Communities still breathe toxins, drink poisoned water, and watch their children grow up in a landscape of death. If the pardon was meant to heal, it missed its mark. It touched memory but ignored reality.

This is why the concept of a “Greek gift” is dangerously relevant. When a government offers mercy without accountability, when it performs reconciliation without restitution, it risks turning tragedy into theatre. What Nigeria owes the Ogoni Nine is not a pardon—it is exoneration. It is an unreserved admission of judicial murder. It is structural reform to ensure such abuses never reoccur. It is aggressive cleanup, healthcare restoration, educational intervention, and full community reintegration. Anything less is performance.

The suspicion now is that this performance sets the stage for re-entry—not just into Ogoniland, but into its oil. The pardon may be the lubricant for exploration. The government knows that in a region where memories are long and grievances deep, you cannot drill without first disarming resistance. And what better way to lower the guards of a traumatized people than to offer posthumous forgiveness for state-sanctioned executions?

But justice cannot be bought with symbolic gestures. We must ask: Why now? What has changed? Where is Shell in all this? Where is the justice for the decades of extraction and devastation? Where is the legislation that protects environmental defenders today? The pardon, if not matched with real reparative justice, becomes a Trojan Horse—invited into our national conscience but bearing within it the same inertia, the same betrayal.

We must look deeper. Because if all we do is pardon the dead while abandoning the living, then we have not learned from Troy.

We have only invited the horse in again.

Israel Adebiyi is a senior journalist, and Head of News, Super FM, Benin City.

Israeladebiyi28@gmail.com
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Shatta Wale Bailed Burna Boy From Ghana Prison After Arrest For Smoking Weed – Captan

Published

2 hours ago

May 28, 2026

Editor

Ghanian singer, Captan, has claimed that his former record label boss, Shatta Wale, once bailed Nigerian singer Burna Boy out of prison in Ghana after he was allegedly arrested for smoking weed.

Speaking in a recent podcast interview, Captan claimed that Shatta Wale sent him and others to free Burna Boy from police custody.

He also claimed that Shatta Wale and his group once accommodated Burna Boy when he was being hunted by some dangerous men.

Captan said, “I once bailed Burna Boy out of prison in Ghana when he was arrested for smoking weed. Shatta Wale sent me and some guys to go and free him from police custody.

“There was a time we also accommodated him when some people were after his life. We helped him settle the case.”

He added that he and Burna Boy are no longer in good terms after the Nigerian artist’s fallout with his mentor, Shatta Wale.

He, however, said he and Shatta Wale are open to reconciling with Burna Boy if he asks for it.

Watch the video here

News

Children’s Day: Chaos At Ogbe Stadium As Dozens Faint

Published

17 hours ago

May 27, 2026

Editor

Chaos erupted on Wednesday during the Children’s Day celebration as dozens of students reportedly collapsed following a stampede triggered by the use of pepper spray.

The event,
organised by the Edo State Ministry of Education at the Samuel Ogbemudia Stadium was disrupted after some male students of Ihogbe College allegedly made uncompromising advances towards female students at the venue.
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‎ A parent who identified himself as Oboh Emmanuel said, “the behaviour of those uncultured students attracted the attention of bouncers stationed at the stadium as they rebuked the male students.”
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‎Oboh said the affected students later regrouped and attacked the bouncers, leading to a confrontation within the crowded arena.

READ ALSO:Children’s Day: Edo Commits To Child Protection
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It was gathered that in the ensuing confusion, the bouncers were reported to have deployed pepper spray in an area occupied by a large number of students.
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‎Several students, particularly female students, reportedly fainted after inhaling the substance, while others sustained injuries after being stepped on during the ensuing melee.
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‎The panic was said to have spread across the stadium as students, teachers and parents scampered for safety.
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‎Many of the affected students were reportedly rushed to the Edo Specialist Hospital for medical attention.

Reacting to the incident, Chief Press Secretary to Governor Monday Okpebholo, Dr Patrick Ebojele, said the security personnel that fired the tear gas had been detained.

He said all the students, except two, that were rushed to the hospital have been discharged.

Ebojele stated that doctors wanted to observe the students till tomorrow before allowing them to go home.

“The two students are not seriously injured. Doctors want to observe them overnight. Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Education is still at the hospital. The man who used pepper spray has been detained.

“The incident did not happen the way it is being exaggerated. All modalities were put in place to ensure the children enjoyed their day.”
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News

Okpebholo Salutes Edo Muslims, Seeks Continued Support, Prayers

Published

18 hours ago

May 27, 2026

Editor

Governor Monday Okpebholo of Edo State has urged Muslims and all Nigerians to continue to pray for peace, unity and progress in the country even as they celebrate the annual Eid-al-Adha

The governor, who was represented by his deputy, Dennis Idahosa, stated this during the annual Eid-al-Adha celebration with Muslim faithfuls held at Government House in Benin City.

He reiterated his administration’s commitment to fairness, inclusivity and equal opportunities for all citizens irrespective of religion and tribe.

According to him, the present administration remains determined to building a government that reflects the diversity of Edo State, noting that competent and qualified Muslims have continued to play vital roles in his government because of their capacity, integrity and commitment to service.

“As a government, we remain committed to fairness, inclusivity and equal opportunity for every Edo citizen, irrespective of religion, ethnicity or political affiliation. This is why quality and competent Muslims are serving in key positions in our administration.”

Okpebholo appreciated the Muslim community in Edo State for their unwavering support and continuous prayers for his administration, noting that such prayers and support have contributed immensely to the peace and steady development being witnessed across the state.

He then called on all Nigerians to use the occasion of Eid-al-Adha to pray for the administration of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, stressing that the country needs collective prayers, unity and cooperation to overcome its present economic and security challenges.

“I urge all Muslims and indeed all Nigerians to use this occasion to pray for our dear nation and for the administration of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu. Nigeria needs our collective prayers, unity and support as we strive to overcome our challenges and build a more prosperous future for all.”

In his remarks, the Chief Imam of Edo State, Abdulfatai Enabulele, applauded the governor for what he described as remarkable developmental strides recorded in less than two years in office.

The cleric commended the administration for ongoing infrastructural development and efforts geared towards improving governance in the state, but appealed to the government to revisit and complete some abandoned projects inherited from the previous administration for the benefit of the people.