Stakeholders from Ogoni ethnic nationality in Rivers State on Wednesday staged a protest against the offer by the federal government to pardon the late environmental activist, Ken Sarowiwa, who was executed alongside other Ogoni sons by the military regime of Sani Abacha.
President Muhammadu Buhari had during a recent visit by a delegation of Ogoni leaders in the presidential villa, promised to consider the granting of pardon to the nine Ogoni sons in the spirit of national healing.
The pronouncement by the president however did not sit well with most stakeholders who insisted that their sons should instead be exonerated having not committed any crime.
On Wednesday, some Ogoni people alongside members of the civil society organization in Rivers State staged a protest against the move by the federal government.
The protesters also demanded an apology from the federal government for the killing of “Ogoni-9”.
The chairman of the Rivers State Civil Society Organization Enefa George-will, who led the protest said “it is important to note that no civil society organization in Nigeria has asked for a presidential pardon for Ken Sarowiwa and nine others who were unjustly murdered by the Sani Abacha dictatorship.
“What we are demanding is the complete exoneration of Ken Sarowiwa and the other Ogoni sons”.
“It is important to also note that the president’s suggestion of granting a pardon is tantamount to saying that the Ogoni 9 were guilty and rightly executed.”
George-will also called for a halt to the recent plans to resume oil exploration in Ogoniland until the clean-up process in completed.
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