Human rights lawyer and Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN), Femi Falana, has said that late environmental activist, Ken Saro-Wiwa, and eight other Ogoni leaders were wrongly executed by the military regime of General Sani Abacha in 1995.
Speaking at the Ken Saro-Wiwa 30th Memorial Lecture held at the Banquet Hall of Hotel Presidential, Port Harcourt, Rivers State, on Friday, Falana stated that the Nigerian government framed the late activist and his comrades in order to silence their campaign against environmental degradation in the Niger Delta.
The lecture, themed “Ken Saro-Wiwa – The Man, His Legacies, Struggles and Challenges,” brought together rights activists, scholars, and members of the Ogoni community to honour the memory of the late Saro-Wiwa and reflect on the struggles he led against oil pollution in Ogoniland.
Falana described the execution of the “Ogoni 9” as a “state-sponsored murder” carried out to allow Shell Petroleum Development Company (SPDC) to continue oil exploration in the region without resistance.
“Ken and his comrades did not commit murder, please take it from me,” Falana said. “The Nigerian state, in its desperation to crush MOSOP (Movement for the Survival of the Ogoni People), orchestrated a setup using Paul Okutimo, head of the military task force, to kill four Ogoni chiefs and blame the MOSOP leadership.”
He recalled that before any investigation began, the then military governor of Rivers State, Paul Komo, had already declared that Ken Saro-Wiwa and other MOSOP leaders would be held responsible for the killings.
“They (Ken and his men) were not even at the scene. Their own government-paid men committed the murders. Yet, the state said they would hold the leaders vicariously liable. But there is no vicarious liability in criminal law. You cannot hold someone responsible for an offence they did not commit just because they lead an organisation,” Falana explained.
The “Ogoni 9”, including Saro-Wiwa, were executed on November 10, 1995, after being convicted by a military tribunal for the murder of four traditional rulers. The trial was widely condemned by the international community as unfair and politically motivated.
Ken Saro-Wiwa, a writer, television producer, and campaigner for environmental justice, was one of the most prominent voices speaking against the environmental damage caused by oil companies in the Niger Delta, especially Shell. He founded MOSOP to advocate for the rights of the Ogoni people and hold oil companies accountable.
Falana praised Saro-Wiwa’s legacy, describing him as a symbol of resistance and courage in the face of oppression. He called on the Nigerian government to clear the names of the Ogoni 9 and officially recognise the injustice done to them.
“Thirty years after, we still owe it to Ken and the Ogoni people to set the record straight. History must reflect the truth, and the truth is that these men were innocent,” Falana said.
The event ended with calls for environmental cleanup in Ogoniland, justice for the victims, and continued support for human rights in Nigeria.
