October 12, 2025-Published by Cyril
Renowned human rights lawyer Femi Falana (SAN) has exposed in chilling detail how the Sani Abacha-led military regime planned and executed the killing of the Ogoni 4 and Ogoni 9 in 1995.
Falana made the revelation during the 84th posthumous birthday lecture of environmental activist Ken Saro-Wiwa held in Port Harcourt on Saturday. He narrated how the Abacha government used state power and manipulation to silence the Ogoni struggle against environmental pollution in the Niger Delta.
The legal icon, who defended Ken Saro-Wiwa and other Movement for the Survival of the Ogoni People (MOSOP) leaders alongside the late Chief Gani Fawehinmi (SAN), said they were forced to withdraw from the trial when the military tribunal deliberately blocked them from presenting crucial evidence in court.
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Falana alleged that Shell Petroleum Development Company (SPDC) was granted a special licence by the military government to import arms and ammunition under the pretext of securing its oil installations. These weapons, he said, later found their way into the hands of militant youths, who were instigated to attack one another, allowing multinational oil companies to exploit the region without resistance.
He stated that when Shell’s divide-and-rule tactics failed to suppress the Ogoni struggle, the Rivers State Task Force, led by Col. Paul Okintimo, recruited armed youths to kill the Ogoni 4. Shockingly, soldiers present at the crime scene made no arrests, and the victims’ bodies were taken away to an unknown location.
According to Falana, after the killings, the then military governor of Rivers State, Col. Dauda Komo, hurriedly announced that Ken Saro-Wiwa and other MOSOP leaders would be held responsible for the deaths — a statement he described as prejudicial and politically motivated.
He revealed that when prosecutors found the murder evidence too weak to secure a conviction, the junta discontinued the case at the Rivers State High Court. However, on General Abacha’s orders, a special military tribunal was created to ensure the activists’ conviction. The tribunal rejected vital defence evidence and sentenced the Ogoni 9 to death in what Falana described as a mock trial.
The human rights advocate further disclosed that under Section 7 of the Civil Disturbances Decree, the Provisional Ruling Council (PRC) was required to review and confirm the tribunal’s verdict before any execution. Yet, the Abacha regime proceeded with the secret execution of the Ogoni 9 even before the record of proceedings was compiled — a grave illegality that led to Nigeria’s suspension from the Commonwealth of Nations.
Falana recalled that the case was revisited by the Oputa Panel on Human Rights Abuses in 1999, where fresh evidence confirmed that the Ogoni 4 and Ogoni 9 were victims of state-sponsored killings. The panel also worked to reunite the families of the Ogoni 13 and recommended national recognition for the victims.
Commending President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s administration for implementing that recommendation, Falana praised the recent posthumous national honours and presidential pardon granted to the Ogoni 9 and Ogoni 13, describing it as a “long-awaited step toward justice and reconciliation.”
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He also celebrated the achievements of the Niger Delta struggle, highlighting the 13% derivation fund enshrined in Section 162(2) of the 1999 Constitution. He revealed that between January and May 2025, the nine oil-producing states received ₦620.23 billion as derivation revenue from the Federation Account.
However, Falana lamented that the funds have not translated into better living conditions for the people and urged MOSOP to lead a new campaign demanding at least 5% direct allocation to oil-producing communities.
He also cited Section 257(2) of the Petroleum Industry Act (PIA), which mandates oil and gas companies to remit 3% of their annual operational expenditure to host communities. Quoting NUPRC Chief Executive Gbenga Komolafe, Falana revealed that as of October 2025, the Host Community Development Trusts have remitted ₦122.34 billion and $168.91 million, equivalent to over ₦358.67 billion, funding 536 ongoing projects, including schools, hospitals, roads, and vocational centres across the Niger Delta.
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