Ken Saro-Wiwa, above all else, spoke truth to power. Today marks the 25th anniversary of human rights activist Kenule (Ken) Saro-Wiwa’s murder at the hands of the Nigerian government, allegedly backed by Shell. Saro-Wiwa was a voice for the Ogoni people—an indigenous group in Nigeria— that advocated for the Ogonis’ rights to control their own resources and environment and not be dominated by the government and corporate interests.
As President of the Movement for the Survival of the Ogoni People (MOSOP), Saro-Wiwa led a nonviolent campaign against the environmental degradation of his community. Saro-Wiwa’s activism grew following decades-long crude oil extraction and environmental oppression by a variety of players in the multinational petroleum industry—most notably the Royal Dutch Shell Company. Known to some as a “pioneer” of Nigeria’s oil and gas industry, Shell’s involvement in the Ogoni people’s homeland of the Niger Delta is filled with theft, corruption, and human rights abuses.
On November 10, 1995, Saro-Wiwa and eight other Ogoni activists— thereafter known as the “Ogoni Nine”— were falsely accused of murder and hanged for “inciting violence” among their followers — violence that ended in the death of pro-government Ogoniland politicians. As outspoken critics of Shell and the Nigerian government for its reluctance to impose restrictions on foreign oil companies abusing the Ogoni people’s land, the group threatened the government and its loose hold on authority. Called a “troublemaker” throughout his life, Saro-Wiwa became his community’s “voice, face, and symbol” that strived for the “denied civic and democratic rights.”
Saro-Wiwa represented more than himself; he represented an entire people’s right to a clean and just livelihood, an idea that scared those in charge. The government had been exposed; it was a weak, fragile puppet used to advance Shell’s corporate interests.
Now, more than ever, is the time to reminisce and reflect on this legacy, and the meaning of sustainability, autonomy, and justice. In a year in which we face global and domestic unrest due to growing inequalities, racism, uncertainty, and an ever-spreading pandemic, it can be challenging to feel optimistic about the future.
Perhaps the best way to keep fighting for justice is to remember the voices that have upheld us in the past and to celebrate those who are fighting for social and environmental justice in the face of corporate destruction today.
Saro-Wiwa was an environmental defender— a champion— to his core. To this day, his impact reverberates across the globe, lifting up other champions. Colombian environmental defender Jakeline Romero has been speaking out for years against the devastating impacts of El Cerrejón, the largest open pit mine in Latin America. Amada Martínez from Paraguay has defended her community since the 1970s against hydroelectric plant development in her community. Nema Grefa Ushigua, a defender from the Ecuadorian Amazon, has led the struggle against extractive activities on her community’s ancestral lands. There are so many environmental rights defenders fighting for protection and justice around the world, but they are being systematically targeted every single day.
The strongest strategy oppressive governments have in response to indigenous environmental activism is to criminalize these champions’ actions, thereby destroying their reputations or distracting them from their work by pulling them into costly legal battles. In the case of Saro-Wiwa— and many others— this effort to criminalize led to outright murder. But the fight continues, and lawyers, among many others, have a responsibility to uphold these champions in the face of oppression.
The fight of the Ogoni people in Nigeria continues. KorneBari Nwike, President of the Center for Accountability, Transparency and Human Development (CATHUD), calls for the world of rights defenders and activists to join the Ogoni people in calling for the exoneration of Saro-Wiwa. “Shell is Nigeria,” he said during a recent phone interview with CAL, “[and] Shell has paid no royalty to the Ogoni people.” Above all else, “[we are] demanding autonomy,” he explained. Shell never entered into a contract with the Ogoni people when they began operating in Ogoniland in the 1950s. To this day, the Ogoni have yet to be paid or recognized for the struggles they have faced.
Shell may soon face its reckoning. After years of denial and failure to acknowledge its connection to the Ogoni Nine murders, Shell wants to promote why climate activists give them hope. This PR stunt is a disgrace after the years of violence committed by Shell. It is critical that polluters be held liable for their actions that have harmed so many. A promised transition to “cleaner” practices does not take this into account, and therefore, it is not enough to rectify the destruction the company has caused in Nigeria and elsewhere.
Nwike and others are calling on the international community to help bring Shell to its reckoning and restore the devastation that’s been committed against the Ogoni community. One action that could be taken is to write to the Unrepresented Nations and Peoples Organization (UNPO) and ask questions on the situation with the Ogoni people. Another is to look into the Hydrocarbon Pollution Remediation Project (HYPREP) and join the Ogoni people’s demand that the UN lead the clean-up and involve ex-patriots in the process to restore the Ogoni’s environment. Otherwise, it is projected that the clean-up will take over 30 years if led solely by the Nigerian government. The cleanup that’s been done so far has been corrupt and fraught with human rights violations.
Current Shell CEO Ben van Beurden says that people should trust him because he takes responsibility. He also emphasized that he “doesn’t let things slide.” Ken Saro-Wiwa did not let things slide. Will we let this slide, or will we join the fight for corporate accountability in Nigeria and beyond?
Cate Baskin is a Legal Intern at Corporate Accountability Lab.
Read CATHUD’s statement on the 25th anniversary of Ken Saro-Wiwa’s death here.
