President Bola Ahmed Tinubu Sanctioned Over Ogoni 9
In a powerful display of resolve, the Ogoni people have made it clear that they will no longer accept even exoneration of the Ogoni Nine from the Tinubu regime. This declaration was made during a ceremony at the Ken Saro-Wiwa Peace and Freedom Center in Bori, marking the 30th anniversary of the martyrs' execution.
The event featured the public reading of the Bureau for Awards, Exoneration and Honors (BAEH) Act 2025 read by Dr. Goodluck Diigbo, President of the Ogoni Central Indigenous Authority (OCIA), followed by a unanimous motion asserting the Ogoni people's sovereignty over their martyrs' legacy. This historic move solidifies their stance on justice and self-determination.
Dr. Goodluck Diigbo (President of the Ogoni Central Indigenous Authority (OCIA)
The BAEH Act, authored by Dr. Goodluck Diigbo, President of the Ogoni Central Indigenous Authority (OCIA), was previously passed by both the Ogoni District Central Assembly (ODCA) and the Ogoni National Legislative Assembly (ONLA). It establishes the Ogoni Memorial Foundation (OMF) as the sole institution empowered to administer awards, exonerations, and honors to deserving Ogoni citizens—living or deceased.
“For President Tinubu to exploit the sacred memory of the Ogoni Nine for personal or public gain—particularly to justify petroleum resumption in Ogoniland—is an unpardonable abomination,” declared Dr. Diigbo. “It is a taboo worthy of public shaming and ostracism.”
Kenule Beeson Saro-Wiwa (10 October 1941 – 10 November 1995)
Dr. Diigbo had earlier rejected President Tinubu’s June 12, 2025, posthumous pardon and national award for Ken Saro-Wiwa and the other eight Ogoni activists, citing legal and moral deficiencies. He emphasized that Section 175 of the Nigerian Constitution does not authorize national awards for individuals still legally classified as criminals. He warned that such actions could be challenged in court and would only deepen the wounds of injustice.
While Dr. Diigbo had initially proposed an Administrative Exoneration Framework (AEF) to the Nigerian National Assembly, he has now formally requested that all legislative efforts on the AEF be suspended until a future administration assumes office. The Ogoni people, he stated, will not accept any form of recognition from a regime they believe seeks to manipulate the legacy of their heroes for economic and political expediency.
In a powerful reaffirmation of cultural unity, Dr. Diigbo addressed the role of family members of the Ogoni Nine:
“While I recognize the fact that family members deserve a say in this matter, it is purely customarily and forbidden for them to—through act of omission or commission—enable despicable violation of the sanctity of the Ogoni homeland. We can’t be divided in this matter,” he emphasized. “After all, the Ogoni Nine are automatically martyrs, who died on behalf of the Planet Earth, not just the Distinct Ogoni Nation (DON).”The OCIA reiterates that the memory of the Ogoni Nine is not for sale, negotiation, or symbolic appeasement. Their legacy belongs to the Ogoni people, and only the Ogoni people—through their own institutions—can determine how that legacy is honored.