Nigerian President Tinubu's pardon of 'Ogoni Nine' draws ethnic group's rejection
LAGOS - Nigeria's Ogoni activists on Friday rejected a posthumous pardon for nine members executed three decades ago by a military dictatorship, criticising President Bola Tinubu's move as inadequate and perpetuating injustice.
To commemorate Nigeria's Democracy Day on June 12, Tinubu pardoned the men, known as the "Ogoni Nine", including writer Ken Saro-Wiwa, who were hanged after being tried by a military tribunal for their protests against Shell's pollution in the oil-rich Niger Delta, which is home to the Ogoni ethnic group.
The executions sparked international condemnation against Nigeria's then-military junta and continue to be a contentious issue in the nation's history.
"You cannot pardon someone that has not committed an offense; we are demanding total exoneration," said Celestine Akpobari, coordinator of the Ogoni Solidarity Forum.
"To say 'pardon', I think it is insulting. If there is any group who needs pardon, it is the Nigerian government that has committed so much crime against the Ogoni people," he told Reuters.
Tinubu's spokesperson rejected such criticism.
"The president has done what is normal. They can make an argument for exoneration and the president will look into it," Bayo Onanuga told Reuters.
Shell, which halted oil drilling in the area in the early 1990s and later sold its assets there, has denied any responsibility or wrongdoing.
Tinubu's efforts to resume oil drilling in Ogoniland have drawn fresh criticism from environmental activists.
Alagao Morris, deputy executive director of the Environmental Defenders Network, an interest group in the Niger Delta, said the pardon appeared to be an attempt to mollify the Ogoni people in the face of the region's continued environmental devastation.
"The pollution that ought to be addressed has not been addressed," Morris said. He said the issue of oil drilling should be decided by the Ogoni people, but the complete exoneration of Saro-Wiwa and other executed activists should come first.
Nigeria, Africa's most populous country, relies on oil for more than 90% of export earnings and around two-thirds of government earnings, exposing its economy to global price shocks. REUTERS
Join ST's Telegram channel and get the latest breaking news delivered to you.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Straits Times
2 minutes ago
- Straits Times
Trump interrupts talks with European leaders to call Putin, says EU diplomat
Sign up now: Get ST's newsletters delivered to your inbox US President Donald Trump with Russian President Vladimir Putin at Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson in Anchorage, Alaska, on Aug 15. WASHINGTON - US President Donald Trump has interrupted his talks in Washington with European leaders to call Russian President Vladimir Putin, an EU diplomat told Reuters on Aug 18. The talks are due to resume after the call, which Mr Trump had initially said would take place after he consulted with European leaders, added the diplomat. Germany's Bild newspaper first reported the call. The leaders of Germany, Britain, France, Italy, Finland and the European Union are accompanying Ukrainian President Volodymr Zelensky on his Washington trip, as well as the secretary-general of Nato. REUTERS
Straits Times
2 minutes ago
- Straits Times
Well-mannered White House welcome for Ukraine leaves many questions
Sign up now: Get ST's newsletters delivered to your inbox Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy gestures as U.S. President Donald Trump reacts during a meeting at the Oval Office of the White House, amid negotiations to end the Russian war in Ukraine, in Washington, D.C., U.S., August 18, 2025. REUTERS/Kevin Lamarque TPX IMAGES OF THE DAY WASHINGTON - U.S. President Donald Trump gathered European leaders and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy for a hastily arranged White House meeting on Monday to discuss a path to ending Russia's war in Ukraine. Here are takeaways from the talks: WARM TONE, LITTLE SUBSTANCE Seven European leaders, the Ukrainian president, their motorcades, dozens of Trump administration staff and more than 100 journalists swarmed the White House campus on Monday in anticipation of the unusual meeting. Would Trump and Zelenskiy agree on a path to peace? Or would their latest Oval Office session devolve into a bitter squabble as in February? Neither scenario occurred. Zelenskiy, chided for his appearance and manner in February, adjusted both. Wearing more formal clothing and repeatedly expressing his gratitude to Trump, he was greeted by a far more complimentary U.S. president than in the past. But, despite Trump's vow to assist in Ukraine's security after a hypothetical peace deal, there was no immediate sign that any party had substantially changed position on land swaps, security guarantees or sanctions. Top stories Swipe. Select. Stay informed. Singapore Jobs, infrastructure and homes at the core of Singapore's resilience: Economists Singapore New online tools by SkillsFuture Singapore help companies plan and curate staff training Life Chinese EV brand Nio to be launched in Singapore in first quarter of 2026 Asia 2 firefighters die in building fire at Osaka's Dotonbori tourist district Singapore Driver hurt after car turns turtle in Upper Thomson accident Sport National tennis player Shaheed Alam serves up charity event to benefit migrant workers Life New Blackpink album scheduled for November, YG Entertainment confirms Singapore Jail for driver of 11-tonne garbage truck that ran over cyclist in Woodlands Instead, Trump ended with promises to host a meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin to address the many remaining issues. HEAPING PRAISE "Have you said 'thank you' once?" U.S. Vice President JD Vance asked Zelenskiy in February, accusing him of failing to show sufficient gratitude for U.S. support. On Monday, Zelenskiy made sure that was not an issue. His opening remarks in the Oval Office included eight thank-yous, mostly for Trump. "Thank you so much, Mr. President ... thank you for your attention. Thank you very much for your efforts, personal efforts to stop killings and stop this war. Thank you," Zelenskiy said. He included the U.S. first lady, who sent a letter to Putin about abducted children in Ukraine. "Using this opportunity, my thanks to your wife," the Ukrainian president said. "And thanks to all our partners and that you supported this format. And after our meeting, we're going to have leaders who are around us, the UK and France, Germany... all partners around Ukraine supporting us. Thanks (to) them. Thank you very much for your invitation." Unlike in February, Vance this time sat largely silent. COMBAT FORMAL The stakes of the meeting could not have been higher. But one of the most-asked questions among diplomats in D.C. could not have been more frivolous: Would the Ukrainian president wear a suit? The answer: kind of. Zelenskiy showed up to the White House in what one European diplomat described as "almost a suit." His black jacket had tiny lapels and jetted chest pockets. He did not wear a tie. His attire, which split the difference between the battlefield and the boardroom, could be described as combat formal. Those sartorial details matter when it comes to dealing with the U.S. president, who was upset that Zelenskiy did not wear a suit for their February meeting. Zelenskiy passed the fashion test this time, however. When one journalist in the Oval Office said Zelenskiy looked "fabulous," Trump chimed in to agree. "I said the same thing," Trump told reporters. DIVIDE OVER CEASEFIRE The assembled European leaders, Zelenskiy included, were careful to paper over policy disagreements with Trump, keeping their comments vague and showering the U.S. president with compliments. But one point of disagreement did bubble to the surface. German Chancellor Friedrich Merz told the assembled leaders and media that he wanted to see Putin agree to a ceasefire. Trump had long pushed for a ceasefire in Ukraine. But he largely jettisoned that goal after meeting with Putin last week in Alaska, a shift that was widely seen as a diplomatic defeat for Ukraine. The U.S. president now says he is fine trying to move directly to a peace deal. "To be honest, we all would like to see a ceasefire," Merz said. "I can't imagine that the next meeting would take place without a ceasefire, so let's work on that." Trump pushed back, arguing he has solved many conflicts without first reaching a ceasefire. WHOSE BOOTS ON THE GROUND? One of the great mysteries that hung over the summit was what support the U.S. would give to secure any Russia-Ukraine deal long term. Trump hasn't offered U.S. troops' "boots on the ground" to guarantee Ukraine's security from Russia, reflecting American reticence to commit to military entanglements or a head-to-head confrontation with a nuclear power. Instead, he has offered weapons sales and promised that Americans will do business in Ukraine, assurances that Ukrainians see as far less than a security guarantee. Europeans are preparing for a peacekeeping mission backed by their forces. Yet, asked explicitly whether U.S. security guarantees for Ukraine could include U.S. troops in the country, Trump did not rule it out. Instead, he teased an announcement as soon as Monday on the topic. "We'll let you know that, maybe, later today," Trump said. He said Europe was the "first line of defense" but that "we'll be involved." WHAT'S NEXT Trump said he would call Putin and set up a trilateral meeting with Ukraine at a time and place to be determined. Despite some private misgivings, the assembled leaders agreed that such a meeting was a logical next step. Still, the path forward is more complex than Trump and his allies are letting on. For one, Russia has delayed and obstructed high-level meetings with Ukraine in the past, and it was not immediately clear that Putin would actually sit down with Zelenskiy, who he frequently describes as an illegitimate leader. Additionally, it is unclear how much a principal-level meeting would actually advance the cause of peace. The gulf between the Russian and Ukrainian positions is vast. The Kremlin said on Monday the presence of NATO troops in Ukraine is a non-starter, a stance that would be hard for Ukraine to swallow. Russia is also calling for Ukraine to fork over significant chunks of territory that Kyiv controls, another proposal that Ukraine's leaders are not entertaining. REUTERS
Straits Times
15 minutes ago
- Straits Times
India, China envoys discuss border peace, trade to boost cooperation
Sign up now: Get ST's newsletters delivered to your inbox Chinese State Councilor and Foreign Minister Wang Yi meets Indian Foreign Minister Subrahmanyam Jaishankar on the sidelines of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation meeting in Moscow, Russia September 10, 2020. China Daily via REUTERS/File Photo NEW DELHI - Indian Foreign Minister Subrahmanyam Jaishankar and his Chinese counterpart Wang Yi on Monday discussed border peace, trade issues and bilateral exchanges, aiming to strengthen cooperation between the two countries. "We had productive conversations on our economic and trade issues, pilgrimages, people-to-people contacts, river data sharing, border trade, connectivity and bilateral exchanges," Jaishankar said. He added that the discussions would contribute to building a stable, cooperative and forward-looking relationship between India and China. Wang arrived in the Indian capital on Monday for a two-day visit during which he will hold the 24th round of border talks with Indian National Security Adviser Ajit Doval and also meet Prime Minister Narendra Modi. Earlier in the day, Jaishankar had said that discussing border issues was very important because the basis for any positive momentum in India-China ties was the ability to jointly maintain peace in border areas. "Having seen a difficult period in our relationship, our two nations now seek to move ahead. This requires a candid and constructive approach from both sides," Jaishankar told Wang in his opening remarks. It is also important for the two countries to pull back their troops amassed along their disputed border in the western Himalayas since a deadly border clash in 2020, Jaishankar said. Wang's visit comes days before Modi travels to China - his first visit in seven years - to attend the summit of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation, a regional political and security group that also includes Russia. Relations between the Asian giants began to thaw in October after New Delhi and Beijing reached a milestone pact to lower military tensions on their Himalayan border following talks between Chinese President Xi Jinping and Modi in Russia. Ties between the two countries deteriorated sharply following a military clash on that border in the summer of 2020 in which 20 soldiers from India and four from China were killed. REUTERS
