An Ogoni group, the Ken Saro Wiwa Associates is continuing its struggle to get renowned activist and writer, Ken Saro Wiwa, and 8 other Ogoni natives exonerated. The men, who are popularly called the Ogoni 9 were executed by the military administration of General Sani Abacha in 1995 after a Special Tribunal on Civic Disturbance sentenced them to death by hanging.
A Federal High Court in Port Harcourt had earlier denied the group's application to quash the judgement of the Special Tribunal, but the group launched an appeal, and the court has now fixed a date for hearing.
According to a report by Rhythm FM, the National Coordinator of the group, Gani Toba said they have received a notice from the court – that the matter will be heard on Monday, the 23rd of April, 2017. He said “Ogoni sons and daughters all over the world were worried about the way the matter was going” but he believes justice will be granted by the court.
In February, the group demonstrated at the Appeal Court, and the secretariat of the Nigeria Union of Journalists, in Port Harcourt, over the delay of the court to hear its appeal on the matter.
In January 2017, a Federal High Court in Port Harcourt struck out the application by the group. The Nation reported that the judge, Justice Liman Abdullahi agreed with the applicant’s argument that the special tribunal was unlawfully constituted, and the judgement was unjust. But the case was struck out as the court held that the applicant had no legal capacity to bring the case before it.
Credit: Touch PH
