@beyond.naija: On this day in history, 31 years ago, Ken Saro-Wiwa was hanged by Abacha's military regime. These are his last words to the tribunal that condemned him. Ken Saro-Wiwa was a writer, a television producer, and the voice of the Ogoni people. As president of MOSOP, the Movement for the Survival of the Ogoni People, he led a nonviolent campaign against decades of oil pollution in Ogoniland and demanded a fair share of the wealth drawn from the Niger Delta. In May 1994, four Ogoni chiefs were murdered. Saro-Wiwa was arrested and charged with inciting the killings, even though he was not in Ogoniland when they happened. He denied every charge. A special military tribunal found him guilty, and he was sentenced to death alongside eight other MOSOP leaders. Together they became known as the Ogoni Nine. Standing before that tribunal, he said: "There is no way I or MOSOP could have planned such an act… My Lord, I appeal for just one thing: the Ogoni people have suffered greatly in this country. They have contributed so much to Nigeria, yet the Niger Delta is in serious danger. We need all the help we can get." On 10 November 1995, Saro-Wiwa and eight others were executed in Port Harcourt. The world reacted with outrage, and Nigeria was suspended from the Commonwealth. The Ogoni Nine are remembered as martyrs of environmental justice. Ken Saro-Wiwa did not die a criminal. His voice still echoes across the Niger Delta and beyond. Follow @Beyond.naija for more Nigerian histories. #BeyondNaija #KenSaroWiwa #OgoniNine #MOSOP #Ogoni #NigerDelta #NigerianHistory #OnThisDay #EnvironmentalJustice #Abacha

beyond.naija

Open In TikTok:

Region: GB

Tuesday 10 November 2026 16:25:00 GMT