Group Approaches Supreme Court To Seek Exoneration Of Ogoni 9

A group, the Conscience of Ogoni People (COOP), has approached the Supreme Court of Nigeria to challenge the decision of the Court of Appeal, which dismissed its suit seeking the exoneration of foremost environmental rights activist, late Kenule Saro-Wiwa, and eight others, who were sentenced to death and executed by the military regime of General Sani Abacha over the death of four persons, known as ‘Ogoni 4’.

Saro-Wiwa and eight other leaders of Ogoni ethnic nationality in Rivers State were hanged on November 10, 1995, following a death sentence passed on them by a Special Tribunal headed by Justice Ibrahim Auta.

However, in 2017, COOP approached the Federal High Court in Port Harcourt, seeking for the exoneration of th now popular ‘Ogoni 9, but the suit was dismissed.

The group thereafter lodged an appeal at the Port Harcourt Division of the Court of Appeal, which upheld the decision of the Federal High Court and dismissed the appeal on August 2, 2019.

However, speaking with journalists in Port Harcourt on Friday, COOP leader, Chief Gani Topba, stated that the group decided to follow the matter up to the Supreme Court level because the people of Ogoni believed that they will be victorious.

Topba said: “I hereby encourage all Ogoni people and human right groups the world over to keep their hopes alive as the matter is now pending before the Supreme Court of Nigeria.

“I am very confident that the Supreme Court of Nigeria being the highest Court of Justice in the land will rightly resolve the issue of locus standi according to the provisions of the Fundamental Rights Enforcement (Procedure) Rules 2009.

“I, therefore, advise all those making unfounded statements and untrue assertions against our hero, Ken Saro-Wiwa, to desist forthwith.”

He claimed that although the judgement of the Federal High Court dismissed the suit, the presiding judge, Justice Abdullahi Liman, exonerated Saro-Wiwa and eight others of any crime.