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About the Episode
On 22 May 1995, the final phase of the Ogoni Nine trial began. The Ogoni Nine had been in detention since May 1994. Ken Saro-Wiwa’s health was declining, and had taken a turn for the worse. Still, the Special Military Tribunal resumed trial. With their lawyers, Femi Falana and Gani Fawehinmi having retired (due to being frustrated by the government), the Ogoni Nine were left without legal representation. If they were found guilty of murder, they would get the capital sentence of death. This was all anyone in Nigeria at the time could think of. After the courts pronounced the Ogoni Nine guilty, public attention turned to whether the Abacha regime would truly go ahead to execute them.
Many Nigerians and international observers pushed for the Abacha regime to recall its sentence but on November 10 1995, they woke up to devastating news. From their homes, Nigerians wondered: despite the worldwide appeals, why did Abacha stick to his decision to sentence Saro-Wiwa and the other eight Ogonis to death? What message was Abacha trying to send to the world?
In this episode, Wale Lawal finds some answers.
Read the Episode 6 transcript.
About the Show
Our second season focuses on the life and legacy of Ken Saro-Wiwa, a writer and one of nine non-violent Ogoni activists the General Sani Abacha military government brutally executed in 1995.
The Ogoni are an ethnic group situated in the Niger Delta region of Nigeria. For years, they have suffered pollution and environmental degradation stemming from crude oil extraction on their land. Saro-Wiwa’s protests against oil companies such as Shell, including his leadership of the Movement for the Survival of the Ogoni People (MOSOP), frustrated the Abacha government, which relied heavily on oil exports.
Read our introduction to Season 2.
Host
Wale Lawal is the founder and editor-in-chief of The Republic.
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Notes on Episode 6
In researching Episode 6 of The Republic, we made use of the following sources.
Books
Hunt, Timothy. The Politics of Bones: Dr. Owens Wiwa And The Struggle For Nigeria’s Oil. McClelland & Stewart, 2005 (originally published 2005).
Saro-Wiwa, Ken. On a Darkling Plain. Saros International Publishers, 1989. (originally published 1989).
Saro-Wiwa, Ken. Pita Dumbrok’s Prison. Saros International Publishers, 1991. (originally published 1991).
Media
UNHCR. Chronology of Events: February 1995 – March 1996.
Episode 6 makes use of archival footage from the following sources:
Former President Olusegun Obasanjo on African Independence, Abacha, and the State of Nigeria. (courtesy Untold Story with Adesuwa / YOUTUBE)
General Sani Abacha 1994 Military Regime Activities. (courtesy Yasir Abubakar / YOUTUBE)
General Sani Abacha Take over Speech. (courtesy OSBC TV / YOUTUBE)
‘I Saw Them Hanging Ken Saro-Wiwa’ – What Shehu Sani Said That Got Wike Angry – What Tinubu Did. (courtesy Symfoni / YOUTUBE)
Ken Saro-Wiwa: Remembering Writer, Environmental Activist 25 Years After. (courtesy TVC News Nigeria / YOUTUBE)
Sani Abacha’s Execution of Ken Saro-Wiwa (1995). (courtesy Nigeria in Videos / YOUTUBE)
Worldwide: Reaction to Execution of Nigerian Ken Saro Wiwa. (courtesy AP Archive / YOUTUBE)