Port Harcourt – The Amnesty International on Monday called for the full exoneration of the Ogoni Nine, who were executed in 1995 following unrest in Ogoniland, Rivers.
The Ogoni Nine, led by environmental activist Ken Saro-Wiwa, were sentenced to death by a military tribunal after being accused of complicity in the killing of four Ogoni chiefs.
In October, President Bola Tinubu granted a state pardon to the Ogoni Nine over the alleged offences.
However, Mr Isa Sanusi, Country Director of Amnesty International in Nigeria, speaking at a meeting held in Port Harcourt to mark the 30th anniversary of the executions, insisted that the activists were innocent.
He said that rather than issuing a state pardon, the Federal Government should clear names completely.
“The protest of the Ogoni Nine brought global attention to the devastating impact of the fossil fuel industry on the climate, human lives, the environment, and the continued poverty in oil-producing communities.
“In June 2025, the Nigerian government pardoned the Ogoni Nine. While Amnesty International welcomed the news, it fell short of the justice the Ogoni Nine and their families truly deserve,” Sanusi said.
He explained that the group had campaigned for environmental justice in response to the destruction of their communities caused by oil spills from an International Oil Company’s operation in Ogoniland.
“The pollution destroyed the lives and livelihoods of tens of thousands of people across the Niger Delta as a result of devastating oil spills and leaks.
“While their pardon is a step forward, the Ogoni Nine deserve full exoneration because they were executed for a crime they did not commit.
“Their families and friends endured unimaginable suffering and deserve justice,” he said.
Sanusi attributed the environmental damage to poorly maintained pipelines and wells, as well as inadequate clean-up efforts, which have severely affected the health and livelihoods of 40 million people in the Niger Delta.
He added that the oil spills have caused irreversible damage to farmlands, waterways, and sources of drinking water, leaving communities unable to farm or fish.
Sanusi noted that with the upcoming COP 30 United Nations Climate Change Conference, the global attention would once again focus on the destructive effects of fossil fuel extraction.
“Amnesty International calls on all states to commit to a full, fast, fair, and funded phase-out of fossil fuels and a just transition to sustainable energy for all.
“We also hope that local communities in Nigeria will be allowed to hold remembrance events for the Ogoni Nine freely and without harassment as we commemorate the 30th anniversary of their execution,” he said.
Sanusi announced that the global rights organisation would release a report on Nov. 12 titled “Extraction Extinction: Why the Life of Fossil Fuels Threatens Life, Nature, and Human Rights.
He said the report, dedicated to the activists, would focus on pollution in the Niger Delta and broader human rights implications of fossil fuel dependence. (NAN)
