The Ogoni Nine were a group of nine activists from the Ogoni region of Nigeria who opposed the operating practices of the Royal Dutch Shell oil corporation.

Their members included outspoken author and playwright Ken Saro-Wiwa, Saturday Dobee, Nordu Eawo, Daniel Gbooko, Paul Levera, Felix Nuate, Baribor Bera, Barinem Kiobel, and John Kpuine (Tripathi, p.189), who were executed by hanging in 1995 by the military dictatorship of General Sani Abacha and buried in Port Harcourt Cemetery. The executions provoked international condemnation and led to the increasing treatment of Nigeria as a pariah state until General Abacha’s mysterious death in 1998. Saro-Wiwa had previously been a critic of the Royal Dutch Shell oil corporation, and had been imprisoned for a year prior to the executions in November 1995. At least two witnesses who testified that Saro-Wiwa was involved in the murders of the Ogoni elders later recanted, stating that they had been bribed with money and offers of jobs with Shell to give false testimony – in the presence of Shell’s lawyer.

Links:
Wiwa family lawsuits against Royal Dutch Shell

The story of the Ogoni

Who killed Ken Saro Wiwa and Ogoni Nine | Gen. Sani Abacha or Shell Nigeria

Eindvonnis in de rechtzaak van vier van de weduwen van de negen in 1995 in Nigeria ter dood veroordeelde mannen ( #Ogoni9 ) tegen vennootschappen uit de Shell-Groep

Het is 25 jaar geleden dat de Ogoni Negen in Nigeria werden opgehangen