The Ogoni is an ethnic group located in Rivers South-East senatorial district of Rivers State , in the Niger Delta region of southern Nigeria. They number just over 2 million and live in a 1,050-square-kilometre (404-square-mile) homeland which they also refer to as Ogoniland . They share common oil-related environmental problems with the Ijaw people of the Niger Delta.
60-929: The Ogoni rose to international attention after a massive public protest campaign against Shell Oil , led by the Movement for the Survival of the Ogoni People (MOSOP), which is also a member of the Unrepresented Nations and Peoples Organization (UNPO). The territory is located in Rivers State near the coast of the Gulf of Guinea , east of the city of Port Harcourt . It extends across four Local Government Areas (LGAs) of Khana , Gokana , Tai and Eleme and, arguably but not certain Oyigbo . Ogoniland
120-596: A carcinogen , at 900 levels above WHO guidelines. UNEP estimated that it could take up to 30 years to rehabilitate Ogoniland to its full potential and that the first five years of rehabilitation would require funding of about US$ 1 billion. In 2012, the Nigerian Minister of Petroleum Resources, Deizani Alison-Madueke , announced the establishment of the Hydrocarbon Pollution Restoration Project, which intends to follow
180-576: A 1,050-square-kilometre (404-square-mile) homeland which they also refer to as Ogoniland . They share common oil-related environmental problems with the Ijaw people of the Niger Delta. The Ogoni rose to international attention after a massive public protest campaign against Shell Oil , led by the Movement for the Survival of the Ogoni People (MOSOP), which is also a member of the Unrepresented Nations and Peoples Organization (UNPO). The territory
240-454: A 404-square-mile (1,050 km) homeland which they also refer to as Ogoni, or Ogoniland . They share common oil-related environmental problems with the Ijaw people of Niger Delta. The Ogoni people have been victims of various human rights violations for many years. In 1956, four years before Nigerian Independence, Royal Dutch/Shell , in collaboration with the British government , found
300-583: A commercially viable oil field on the Niger Delta and began oil production in 1958. In a 15-year period from 1976 to 1991 there were reportedly 2,976 oil spills of about 2.1 million barrels of oil in Ogoniland, accounting for about 40% of the total oil spills of the Royal Dutch/Shell company worldwide. In 1990, under the leadership of activist and environmentalist Ken Saro-Wiwa , the Movement of
360-405: A counter-image of Nigerian society. But his later writings were more inspired by political dimensions such as environmental and social justice than satire. Transistor Radio , one of his best known plays, was written for a revue during his university days at Ibadan but still resonated well with Nigerian society and was adapted into a television series. Some of his works drew inspiration from
420-418: A great toll from them. At the turn of the twentieth century, “the world to them did not extend beyond the next three or four villages”, but that soon changed. Ken Saro-Wiwa , the late president of MOSOP, described the transition this way: “if you then think that within the space of seventy years they were struck by the combined forces of modernity, colonialism , the money economy, indigenous colonialism and then
480-680: A number of other African leaders criticized the suggestion. Nigeria's membership in the Commonwealth of Nations was ultimately suspended, and Nigeria was threatened with expulsion if it did not transition to democracy in two years. The US and British governments also discussed the possibility of an oil embargo backed by a naval blockade of Nigeria. The Ken Saro-Wiwa foundation was established in 2017 to work towards improved access to basic resources such as electricity and Internet for entrepreneurs in Port Harcourt . The association founded
540-864: A position at the University of Lagos which did not last long as he was called back to Bonny. He was called back to become the Civilian Administrator for the port city of Bonny in the Niger Delta . During the Nigerian Civil War he positioned himself as an Ogoni leader dedicated to the Federal cause. He followed his job as an administrator with an appointment as a commissioner in the old Rivers State. His best known novel, Sozaboy: A Novel in Rotten English (1985), tells
600-501: A return to democracy were disingenuous. His sentiments were proven correct in the coming years, as Babangida failed to relinquish power. In 1993, Babangida annulled Nigeria's general elections that would have transferred power to a civilian government , sparking mass civil unrest and eventually forcing him to step down, at least officially, that same year. Saro-Wiwa's works include TV, drama and prose writing. His earlier works from 1970s to 1980s were mostly satirical displays that portray
660-457: A storm of international outrage. The United Nations General Assembly condemned the executions in a resolution which passed by a vote of 101 in favor to 14 against and 47 abstentions. The European Union condemned the executions, which it called a "cruel and callous act", and imposed an arms embargo on Nigeria. The United States recalled its ambassador from Nigeria, imposed an arms embargo on Nigeria, and imposed travel restrictions on members of
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#1732765390622720-842: A teaching assistant at the University of Lagos and later at University of Nigeria, Nsukka . He was an African literature lecturer in Nsukka when the civil war broke out, he supported the Federal Government and had to leave the region for his hometown at Bori. On his journey to Port-Harcourt , he witnessed the multitudes of refugees returning to the East, a scene he described as a "sorry sight to see". Three days after his arrival to Bonny , it fell to federal troops. He and his family then stayed in Bonny, he travelled back to Lagos and took
780-483: Is divided into the six kingdoms: Babbe , Gokana , Ken-Khana , Nyo-Khana , Tai and Eleme . Nyo-Khana is on the East while Ken-Khana is on the west. There are multiple languages spoken by the Ogonis . The largest is Khana , which mutually intelligible with the dialects of the other kingdoms, Gokana , Tai (Tẹẹ), Eleme and Baen Ogoi part of the linguistic diversity of the Niger Delta . According to oral tradition,
840-445: Is located in Rivers State near the coast of the Gulf of Guinea , east of the city of Port Harcourt . It extends across four Local Government Areas (LGAs) of Khana , Gokana , Tai and Eleme and, arguably but not certain Oyigbo . Ogoniland is divided into the six kingdoms: Babbe , Gokana , Ken-Khana , Nyo-Khana , Tai and Eleme . Nyo-Khana is on the East while Ken-Khana is on the west. There are multiple languages spoken by
900-488: The Ijaw people of Niger Delta. The Ogoni people have been victims of various human rights violations for many years. In 1956, four years before Nigerian Independence, Royal Dutch/Shell , in collaboration with the British government , found a commercially viable oil field on the Niger Delta and began oil production in 1958. In a 15-year period from 1976 to 1991 there were reportedly 2,976 oil spills of about 2.1 million barrels of oil in Ogoniland, accounting for about 40% of
960-607: The Khana dialect of the Ogoni language . He spent his childhood in an Anglican home and eventually proved himself to be an excellent student. He received primary education at a Native Authority school in Bori, then attended secondary school at Government College Umuahia . A distinguished student, he was captain of the table tennis team and amassed school prizes in History and English. On
1020-584: The Nigerian Civil War , and that they had to adjust to these forces without adequate preparation or direction, you will appreciate the bafflement of the Ogoni people and the subsequent confusion engendered in the society.” Ogoni nationalism is a political ideology that seeks self determination by the Ogoni people. The Ogonis are one of the many indigenous peoples in the region of southeast Nigeria . They number about 1.5 million people and live in
1080-463: The Ogonis . The largest is Khana , which mutually intelligible with the dialects of the other kingdoms, Gokana , Tai (Tẹẹ), Eleme and Baen Ogoi part of the linguistic diversity of the Niger Delta . According to oral tradition, the Ogoni people migrated from ancient Ghana down to the Atlantic coast eventually making their way over to the eastern Niger Delta region and getting absorbed into
1140-908: The Ken Junior Award, named for Saro-Wiwa's son Ken Wiwa , who died in October 2016. The award is presented to innovative start-up technology companies in Port Harcourt . Beginning in 1996, the Center for Constitutional Rights (CCR), Earth Rights International (ERI), Paul Hoffman of Schonbrun, DeSimone, Seplow, Harris & Hoffman and other human rights attorneys have brought a series of cases to hold Shell accountable for alleged human rights violations in Nigeria, including summary execution , crimes against humanity , torture , inhumane treatment and arbitrary arrest and detention. The lawsuits are brought against Royal Dutch Shell and Brian Anderson,
1200-572: The Nigerian Minister of Petroleum Resources, Deizani Alison-Madueke , announced the establishment of the Hydrocarbon Pollution Restoration Project, which intends to follow the UNEP report suggestions of Ogoniland to prevent further degradation. A trial project in the region was able to achieve mangrove restoration in one of the significant waterways Bodo Creek which helped improve soil and water quality. Ken Saro-Wiwa Kenule Beeson " Ken " Saro-Wiwa (10 October 1941 – 10 November 1995)
1260-518: The Nigerian government. In 1993, following protests that were designed to stop contractors from laying a new pipeline for Shell, the Mobile Police raided the area to quell the unrest. In the chaos that followed, it has been alleged that 27 villages were raided, resulting in the death of 2,000 Ogoni people and displacement of 80,000. In a 2011 assessment of over 200 locations in Ogoniland by
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#17327653906221320-617: The Nigerian military regime and their families. The United Kingdom recalled its high commissioner in Nigeria, and British Prime Minister John Major called the executions "judicial murder." South Africa took a primary role in leading international criticism, with President Nelson Mandela urging Nigeria's suspension from the Commonwealth of Nations . Zimbabwe and Kenya also backed Mandela, with Kenyan President Daniel arap Moi and Zimbabwean President Robert Mugabe backing Mandela's demand to suspend Nigeria's Commonwealth membership, but
1380-575: The Ogoni elders later recanted, stating that they had been bribed with money and offers of jobs with Shell to give false testimony, in the presence of Shell's lawyer. The trial was widely criticised by human rights organisations, and six months later, Saro-Wiwa received the Right Livelihood Award for his courage, as well as the Goldman Environmental Prize . On 8 November 1995, a military ruling council upheld
1440-729: The Ogoni people migrated from ancient Ghana down to the Atlantic coast eventually making their way over to the eastern Niger Delta region and getting absorbed into the already existing Ibibio , Annang , Igbo , and Ijaw population. The name "Ogoni" originated from the Ibani/Ijaw word- Igoni, which means strangers. Linguistic calculations ns People on the Guinea coast, the Ogonis have an internal political structure subject to community-by-community arrangement, including appointment of chiefs and community development bodies, some recognized by
1500-401: The Ogoni people, leaving them in control of the natural resources of Ogoniland protecting against further land degradation . The movement lost steam in 1994 after Saro-Wiwa and several other MOSOP leaders were executed by the Nigerian government. In 1993, following protests that were designed to stop contractors from laying a new pipeline for Shell, the Mobile Police raided the area to quell
1560-634: The Ogoni population – through four Ogoni urban centres, drawing international attention to their people's plight. The same year the Nigerian government occupied the region militarily. He was arrested again and detained by Nigerian authorities in June 1993 but was released after a month. On 21 May 1994, four Ogoni chiefs (all on the conservative side of a schism within MOSOP over strategy) were brutally murdered. Saro-Wiwa had been denied entry to Ogoniland on
1620-484: The Southern District of New York set a trial date of June 2009. On 9 June 2009, Shell agreed to an out-of-court settlement of US$ 15.5 million to victims' families. However, the company denied any liability for the deaths, stating that the payment was part of a reconciliation process. In a statement given after the settlement, Shell suggested that the money was being provided to the relatives of Saro-Wiwa and
1680-557: The Survival of the Ogoni People ( MOSOP ) planned to take action against the Federal Republic of Nigeria and the oil companies. In October 1990, MOSOP presented The Ogoni Bill of Rights to the government. The Bill hoped to gain political and economic autonomy for the Ogoni people, leaving them in control of the natural resources of Ogoniland protecting against further land degradation . The movement lost steam in 1994 after Saro-Wiwa and several other MOSOP leaders were executed by
1740-525: The UNEP report suggestions of Ogoniland to prevent further degradation. A trial project in the region was able to achieve mangrove restoration in one of the significant waterways Bodo Creek which helped improve soil and water quality. Ogoni The Ogoni is an ethnic group located in Rivers South-East senatorial district of Rivers State , in the Niger Delta region of southern Nigeria. They number just over 2 million and live in
1800-537: The United Nations Environment Programme ( UNEP ), they found that impacts of the 50 years of oil production in the region extended deeper than previously thought. Because of oil spills, oil flaring, and waste discharge, the alluvial soil of the Niger Delta is no longer viable for agriculture. Furthermore, in many areas that seemed to be unaffected, groundwater was found to have high levels of hydrocarbons or were contaminated with benzene,
1860-479: The alluvial soil of the Niger Delta is no longer viable for agriculture. Furthermore, in many areas that seemed to be unaffected, groundwater was found to have high levels of hydrocarbons or were contaminated with benzene, a carcinogen , at 900 levels above WHO guidelines. UNEP estimated that it could take up to 30 years to rehabilitate Ogoniland to its full potential and that the first five years of rehabilitation would require funding of about US$ 1 billion. In 2012,
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1920-438: The already existing Ibibio , Annang , Igbo , and Ijaw population. The name "Ogoni" originated from the Ibani/Ijaw word- Igoni, which means strangers. Linguistic calculations ns People on the Guinea coast, the Ogonis have an internal political structure subject to community-by-community arrangement, including appointment of chiefs and community development bodies, some recognized by the government and others not. They survived
1980-418: The area. At the peak of his non-violent campaign, he was tried by a special military tribunal for allegedly masterminding the murder of Ogoni chiefs at a pro-government meeting, and hanged in 1995 by the military dictatorship of General Sani Abacha . His execution provoked international outrage and resulted in Nigeria's suspension from the Commonwealth of Nations for over three years. Kenule Saro-Wiwa
2040-485: The bafflement of the Ogoni people and the subsequent confusion engendered in the society.” Ogoni nationalism is a political ideology that seeks self determination by the Ogoni people. The Ogonis are one of the many indigenous peoples in the region of southeast Nigeria . They number about 1.5 million people and live in a 404-square-mile (1,050 km ) homeland which they also refer to as Ogoni, or Ogoniland . They share common oil-related environmental problems with
2100-539: The completion of his secondary education, he obtained a scholarship to study English at the University of Ibadan . At Ibadan , he plunged into academic and cultural interests, he won departmental prizes in 1963 and 1965 and worked for a drama troupe. The travelling drama troupe performed in Kano , Benin , Ilorin and Lagos and collaborated with the Nottingham Playhouse theater group. He briefly became
2160-471: The day of the murders, but he was arrested and accused of inciting them. He denied the charges but was imprisoned for more than a year before being found guilty and sentenced to death by a specially convened tribunal. The same happened to eight other MOSOP leaders who, along with Saro-Wiwa, became known as the Ogoni Nine . Some of the defendants' lawyers resigned in protest against the alleged rigging of
2220-407: The death sentences. The military government then immediately moved to carry them out. The prison in Port Harcourt was selected as the place of execution. Although the government wanted to carry out the sentences immediately, it had to wait two days for a gallows to be built. Within hours of the sentences being upheld, nine coffins were taken to the prison, and the following day a team of executioners
2280-752: The degradation of Ogoni lands by Royal Dutch Shell . In 1992, He was imprisoned for several months, without trial, by the Nigerian military government. He was Vice Chairman of the Unrepresented Nations and Peoples Organization (UNPO) General Assembly from 1993 to 1995. UNPO is an international, nonviolent, and democratic organisation (of which MOSOP is a member). Its members are indigenous peoples, minorities, and under-recognised or occupied territories who have joined together to protect and promote their human and cultural rights, to preserve their environments and to find nonviolent solutions to conflicts which affect them. In January 1993, MOSOP organised peaceful marches of around 300,000 Ogoni people – more than half of
2340-512: The eight other victims, to cover the legal costs of the case and also in recognition of the events that took place in the region. Some of the funding is also expected to be used to set up a development trust for the Ogoni people , who inhabit the Niger Delta region of Nigeria. The settlement was made just days before the trial, which had been brought by Saro-Wiwa's son, was due to begin in New York. His death provoked international outrage and
2400-473: The executions, the bodies were taken to the Port Harcourt Cemetery under armed guard and buried. Anticipating disturbances as a result of the executions, the Nigerian government deployed tens of thousands of troops and riot police to two southern provinces and major oil refineries around the country. The Port Harcourt Cemetery was surrounded by soldiers and tanks. The executions provoked
2460-421: The government and others not. They survived the period of the slave trade in relative isolation and did not lose any of their members to enslavement. After Nigeria was colonized by the British in 1885, British soldiers arrived in Ogoni by 1901. Major resistance to their presence continued through 1914. The Ogoni were integrated into a succession of economic systems at a pace that was extremely rapid and exacted
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2520-630: The head of its Nigerian operation. The cases were brought under the Alien Tort Statute , a 1789 statute giving non-US citizens the right to file suits in US courts for international human rights violations, and the Torture Victim Protection Act , which allows individuals to seek damages in the US for torture or extrajudicial killing , regardless of where the violations take place. The United States District Court for
2580-451: The immediate suspension of Nigeria from the Commonwealth of Nations , as well as the calling back of many foreign diplomats for consultation. The United States and other countries considered imposing economic sanctions . The execution of Saro-Wiwa marked the beginning of the international business and human rights (BHR) movement. Tributes to Saro-Wiwa include: A BBC World Service Radio Documentary, "Silence Would Be Treason",
2640-462: The land settled by the Ogoni people . He was one of the earliest members of the Movement for the Survival of the Ogoni People (MOSOP), which advocated for the rights of the Ogoni people. The Ogoni Bill of Rights, written by MOSOP, set out the movement's demands, including increased autonomy for the Ogoni people, a fair share of the proceeds of oil extraction, and remediation of environmental damage to Ogoni lands. In particular, MOSOP struggled against
2700-404: The period of the slave trade in relative isolation and did not lose any of their members to enslavement. After Nigeria was colonized by the British in 1885, British soldiers arrived in Ogoni by 1901. Major resistance to their presence continued through 1914. The Ogoni were integrated into a succession of economic systems at a pace that was extremely rapid and exacted a great toll from them. At
2760-475: The play. In 1972, a radio version of the play was produced and in 1985, he produced Basi and Company , a successful screen adaption of the play. He included the play in Four Farcical Plays and Basi and Company: Four Television Plays . Basi and Company , an adaptation of Transistor Radio , ran on television from 1985 to 1990. A farcical comedy, the show chronicles city life and is anchored by
2820-553: The political arena running as the candidate to represent Ogoni in the Constituent Assembly. He lost the election in a narrow margin. It was during this time he had a fall out with his friend Edwards Kobani. His intellectual work was interrupted in 1987 when he re-entered the political scene, having been appointed by the newly installed dictator Ibrahim Babangida to aid the country's transition to democracy. But he resigned because he felt Babangida's supposed plans for
2880-507: The president, of the Movement for the Survival of the Ogoni People (MOSOP), Saro-Wiwa led a nonviolent campaign against environmental degradation of the land and waters of Ogoniland by the operations of the multiple international oil companies, especially the Royal Dutch Shell company. He criticized the Nigerian government for its reluctance to enforce environmental regulations on the foreign petroleum companies operating in
2940-646: The protagonist, Basi, a resourceful and street-wise character looking for ways to achieve his goal of obtaining millions which always ends to become an illusive mission. In 1985, the Biafran Civil War novel Sozaboy was published. The protagonist's language was written in nonstandard English or what He called "Rotten English", a hybrid language of pidgin English, standard English and broken English. In 1990, he began devoting most of his time to human rights and environmental causes, particularly in
3000-404: The story of a naive village boy recruited to the army during the Nigerian Civil War of 1967 to 1970, and intimates the political corruption and patronage in Nigeria's military regime of the time. His war diaries, On a Darkling Plain (1989), document his experience during the war. He was also a successful businessman and television producer. His satirical television series, Basi & Company ,
3060-423: The streets in anticipation of the executions. After arriving at Port Harcourt prison, Saro-Wiwa and the others were herded into a single room and their wrists and ankles were shackled. They were then led one by one to the gallows and executed by hanging, with Saro-Wiwa being the first. It took five tries to execute him due to faulty equipment. His last words were: "Lord take my soul, but the struggle continues." After
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#17327653906223120-430: The total oil spills of the Royal Dutch/Shell company worldwide. In 1990, under the leadership of activist and environmentalist Ken Saro-Wiwa , the Movement of the Survival of the Ogoni People ( MOSOP ) planned to take action against the Federal Republic of Nigeria and the oil companies. In October 1990, MOSOP presented The Ogoni Bill of Rights to the government. The Bill hoped to gain political and economic autonomy for
3180-462: The trial by the Abacha regime. The resignations left the defendants to their own means against the tribunal, which continued to bring witnesses to testify against Saro-Wiwa and his peers. Many of these supposed witnesses later admitted that they had been bribed by the Nigerian government to support the criminal allegations. At least two witnesses who testified that Saro-Wiwa was involved in the murders of
3240-524: The turn of the twentieth century, “the world to them did not extend beyond the next three or four villages”, but that soon changed. Ken Saro-Wiwa , the late president of MOSOP, described the transition this way: “if you then think that within the space of seventy years they were struck by the combined forces of modernity, colonialism , the money economy, indigenous colonialism and then the Nigerian Civil War , and that they had to adjust to these forces without adequate preparation or direction, you will appreciate
3300-448: The unrest. In the chaos that followed, it has been alleged that 27 villages were raided, resulting in the death of 2,000 Ogoni people and displacement of 80,000. In a 2011 assessment of over 200 locations in Ogoniland by the United Nations Environment Programme ( UNEP ), they found that impacts of the 50 years of oil production in the region extended deeper than previously thought. Because of oil spills, oil flaring, and waste discharge,
3360-422: Was a Nigerian writer, teacher, television producer, and environmental activist . Saro-Wiwa was a member of the Ogoni people , an ethnic minority in Nigeria whose homeland, Ogoniland , in the Niger Delta , has been targeted for crude oil extraction since the 1950s and has suffered extreme environmental damage from decades of indiscriminate petroleum waste dumping. Initially as a spokesperson, and then as
3420-451: Was born in Bori , near Port-Harcourt, Nigeria on 10 October 1941. He was the son of Chief Jim Wiwa , a forest ranger who held a title in the Nigerian chieftaincy system , and his third wife Widu. He officially changed his name to Saro-Wiwa after the Nigerian Civil War . He was married to Maria Saro Wiwa. His father's hometown was the village of Bane , Ogoniland , whose residents speak
3480-692: Was broadcast in January 2022. It is presented by his daughter Noo Saro-Wiwa and voiced by Ben Arogundade. He and his wife Maria had five children, who grew up with their mother in the United Kingdom while their father remained in Nigeria. They include Ken Wiwa and Noo Saro-Wiwa , both journalists and writers, and Noo's twin Zina Saro-Wiwa , a journalist and filmmaker. In addition, Saro-Wiwa had two daughters (Singto and Adele) with another woman. He also had another son, Kwame Saro-Wiwa, who
3540-503: Was flown in from Sokoto to Port Harcourt. On 10 November 1995, Saro-Wiwa and the remainder of the Ogoni Nine were taken from the army base where they were being held to Port Harcourt prison . They were told that they were being moved to Port Harcourt because it was feared that the army base they were being held in might be attacked by Ogoni youths. The prison was heavily guarded by riot police and tanks, and hundreds of people lined
3600-616: Was wildly popular, with an estimated audience of 30 million. In the early 1970s, he served as the Regional Commissioner for Education in the Rivers State Cabinet. But was dismissed in 1973 because of his support for Ogoni autonomy. In the late 1970s, he established a number of successful business ventures in retail and real estate, and during the 1980s concentrated primarily on his writing, journalism and television production. In 1977, he became involved in
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