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

Published

3 months ago

July 2, 2025

Editor

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
07034950917

News

Group Throws Weight Behind Benin Monarch’s Decision On Iyaloja

Published

15 hours ago

October 7, 2025

Editor

Group known as Edo Art and Cultural Heritage Institute (EACHI) has thrown its weight behind Oba of Benin, Ewuare II, on the royal father’s stance on the traditional leadership of markets in the Benin Kingdom.

A statement isdued by Okpioba Osaro Idemudia, on behalf of the group, said the “institute aligns with the Oba’s stance that the Iye-Eki is the only recognized traditional head of the markets, and we believe that this position should be respected and preserved in accordance with our cultural heritage.

“EACHI stands firm on the ground that the Iye-Eki holds a significant and revered position in the Benin Kingdom, serving as the main market traditional head. We believe that any attempts to impose external leadership structures that contradict our cultural norms and traditions would undermine the rich heritage of the Benin people.

“We are proud of our royal rather, for his unwavering commitment to upholding the cultural values and traditions of the Benin Kingdom.

“EACHI reassures the people of Edo State and the broader community that we will continue to support and promote the preservation of our rich cultural heritage.”

The group, while calling on Edo sons and daughters in home and in diaspora to “stand in unity to support our royal father Oba Ewuare II’s disapproval of IYALOJA,” commended
Edo market women for talking a bold stand against the imposition of IYALOJA

News

JUST IN: Tinubu’s Minister Resigns Amid Allegations

Published

16 hours ago

October 7, 2025

Editor

The Minister of Innovation, Science, and Technology, Geoffrey Nnaji, has resigned from President Bola Tinubu’s cabinet amid controversies surrounding his academic records and allegations of certificate forgery.

Nnaji, who was appointed in August 2023, announced his resignation in a letter to the President on Tuesday, expressing appreciation for the opportunity to serve.

Confirming the development in a statement on Tuesday, the Special Adviser to the President on Information and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga, said, “President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has accepted the resignation of Geoffrey Uche Nnaji, the Minister of Innovation, Science, and Technology, following some allegations against him. President Tinubu appointed Nnaji in August 2023.

“He resigned today in a letter thanking the President for allowing him to serve Nigeria. Nnaji said he has been a target of blackmail by political opponents. President Tinubu thanked him for his service and wished him well in future endeavours.”

Nnaji’s resignation comes amid a lingering controversy over alleged certificate forgery and questions surrounding his academic qualifications from the University of Nigeria, Nsukka.

Nnaji and the Enugu State Government had traded words over allegations that he presented forged certificates.

The dispute intensified after the Federal High Court in Enugu rejected Nnaji’s bid to stop the University of Nigeria from releasing his academic records.

The court had ruled that the institution was within its rights to release the minister’s academic details in response to a freedom of information request, a decision that fuelled further public scrutiny.

Nnaji, however, maintained that he was being blackmailed by political opponents determined to tarnish his reputation.

News

UNIBEN Bans Students’ Sign-out Celebration

Published

17 hours ago

October 7, 2025

Editor

The University of Benin (UNIBEN) has prohibited all forms of sign-out celebrations by graduating students.

The ban is contained in a circular by the university’s Registrar, Mr Ademola Bobola, on Tuesday in Benin.

In the circular addressed to members of the university community, the management warned that violators risk severe disciplinary actions, including rustication, expulsion, or withdrawal of certificate.

Bobola said the decision was reached at a meeting on Monday, where it reaffirmed an earlier resolution of the university’s Senate banning such activities on campus.

“The management declared that no sign-out celebration of any kind, including signing on T-shirts and playing of music, will be tolerated,” he said.

He stated that the university would not condone any form of disorderly conduct or unauthorised gathering during or after examinations.

“Indiscriminate parading around the campuses in any brand of vehicle will not be permitted,” the circular warned.

According to him, unauthorised vehicles will not be allowed into the campuses all through the last week of the second semester examination.

“The management also prohibited large gatherings around faculties, schools, or institutes after examinations.

“Photographers will not be permitted to put up photo stands or galleries for the purpose of such celebration,” he said.

He said the management equally cautioned parents and guardians of final-year students against visiting campus premises during the final days of examinations.

“Parents and guardians of final-year students are advised to stay away from the Faculty, School, or Institute premises, especially on the last day of examination,” he said.

Bobola emphasised that the university’s stance was aimed at maintaining order, discipline, and academic decorum on campus.

“Members of the university community are kindly invited to note the above position for strict compliance.

“Any violation will attract severe disciplinary sanctions, including withdrawal of certificate, rustication, and expulsion of violators,” he warned.