Human rights lawyer, Femi Falana (SAN), has accused the late military regime of General Sani Abacha of orchestrating the 1995 execution of environmental activist Ken Saro-Wiwa and eight other leaders of the Movement for the Survival of the Ogoni People (MOSOP), saying they were framed and unjustly convicted to silence their struggle against oil exploitation in Ogoniland.

According to a report by Arise News, Falana made the statement while delivering the keynote lecture at the Ken Saro-Wiwa 30th Memorial Lecture held in Port Harcourt, on Friday.

Reflecting on the Ogoni crisis of the 1990s, triggered by the devastating impact of Shell Petroleum Development Company operations in the Niger Delta, Falana said the execution of the MOSOP leaders was a calculated move by the Abacha military junta to crush local resistance and protect oil interests.

“Ken and his comrades did not commit murder. Please take it from me. What happened was that the Abacha regime decided, ‘We’re going to deal with MOSOP led by Ken,’ and the only way to do it was to allow Shell to continue to exploit your resources — no reaction, no objection — and to charge your leaders for murder.

“The Abacha…junta had one Paul Okutimo, the head of the task force. Then the regime got people, instigated by them and paid by them, to kill the four leaders — Kobani and others. It was the regime that killed them,” Falana said.

He recounted how, even before investigations began, the authorities had already predetermined that Saro-Wiwa and other MOSOP leaders would be held responsible for the killings.

“Before any commencement of investigation, Paul Komo, the then military governor, said publicly: ‘We’re going to hold Ken and other MOSOP leaders for the murder that took place in Yogbo.’

“They (Ken and his men) were not there. Their own boys killed the four leaders. But the governor announced, ‘We’re going to hold MOSOP leaders vicariously liable.’ There’s no vicarious liability in a criminal offence. If you commit an offence, you’re dealt with. You cannot hold me responsible for the alleged offence of my son; that’s not enough — but that’s what happened in Ken Saro-Wiwa’s case.”

Falana also detailed how attempts by the defence team to present crucial evidence during the trial were suppressed by the military tribunal.

“For the tape at the trial, we were going to tender it to show that they wanted to kill these people in a premeditated manner. So we applied to tender the tape. That was a defining moment for the tribunal. When we offered to tender the tape, the tribunal rose to consult. And they were told, ‘If you allow the tape to go in, that is the end of our case.’”

The Ken Saro-Wiwa Memorial Lecture, held annually, honours the legacy of the late writer and environmental activist who led peaceful campaigns against environmental degradation and the marginalization of the Ogoni people.

For decades, the death of Saro-Wiwa and the Ogoni Nine became a symbol of the struggle for justice, environmental protection, and human rights in Nigeria.

In a historic move, President Bola Tinubu granted a posthumous pardon to Saro-Wiwa and the Ogoni Nine in 2025, formally recognizing that they were wrongfully executed. (The PUNCH)