MOSOP Hails Pardon, Wants Tinubu To Absolve Ogoni Nine

 
The Movement for the Survival of Ogoni People (MOSOP), led by Fegalo Nsuke, has expressed appreciation to President Bola Tinubu for granting a posthumous presidential pardon to the nine Ogoni rights activists executed by the military regime of the late General Sani Abacha in 1995.



Those granted pardon include Ken Saro-Wiwa, Nubari Kiobel, Nordu Eawo, Saturday Doobee, John Kpuinen, Paul Levura, Daniel Gbokoo, Felix Nuate, and Baribor Bera.
Nsuke, in a statement, described the pardon as a historic and courageous act of national reckoning and a vital step toward healing the deep wounds inflicted on the Ogoni people and the Nigerian conscience.

He said President Tinubu had distinguished himself by responding with compassion and boldness to a long-standing demand for justice from marginalised people.



He said the President’s acknowledgment of the grave injustice done to the Ogoni Nine, especially the statement that their execution should never have happened, has been met with gratitude both within Nigeria and around the world.
He, however, added that while the presidential pardon was an important milestone, it inherently suggested that a crime was committed and forgiven.
He maintained that in the case of Ken Saro-Wiwa and his compatriots, no crime ever took place, adding that their convictions were the result of a deeply flawed, politically motivated process lacking in fairness or due process.
He, therefore, urged President Tinubu to go a step further by initiating a process for the full exoneration of the Ogoni Nine by setting up a Judicial Commission of Inquiry.



He said, “Such an exoneration would be a stronger moral and legal correction, ensuring that their names are no longer burdened by the stain of injustice.
“To this end, the establishment of a Judicial Commission of Inquiry, to investigate and formally repudiate the irregularities of the 1995 tribunal would be a landmark act of complete restorative justice, one that would further cement President Tinubu’s legacy as a leader not only of courage but of conscience.”
( Channel TV)