NEWS
CSOs Urge Tinubu to Address Injustice Perpetrated by Abacha on Ogoni

From Mike Tayese, Yenagoa
Some Civil Society Organisations (CSOs) have said that the recent remembrance of Ken Saro-Wiwa and 8 Ogoni Martyrs by President Bola Tinubu was a welcome development.
They urged the president to address the grand injustice perpetrated by the Federal Government under Gen Sani Abacha by taking steps toward reconciliation and closure of the incident.
The organisations were Health of Mother Earth Foundation, We the People, Corporate Accountability and Popular Participation Africa, People’s Advancement Centre.
Other members of the coalition include Kabetkeche Women Development Resource Centre and Lekeh Development Foundation.
The coalition’s position was contained in a statement issued on their behalf by Miss Kome Odhomor, Media/Communications Lead at Health of Mother Earth Foundation and made available to our correspondent via email on Tuesday.
“As frontline civil society organizations focused on environmental justice, we are delighted that the President has deemed it appropriate to honour the memory of these martyrs of ecological struggle.
“We are particularly delighted that the President recognizes that they were murdered because they fought to protect their environment from harmful oil extraction activities that had polluted their lands and rivers; and poisoned their people.
“For clarity, it is important to note that the Nigerian military junta headed by General Sani Abacha authorised the hanging of Ken Saro-Wiwa, Saturday Dobee, Nordu Eawo, Daniel Gbooko, Paul Levera, Felix Nuate, Baribor Bera, Barinem Kiobel, and John Kpuine.
“The 9 were instrumental in mobilising Ogonis under the Movement for the Survival of the Ogoni People (MOSOP).
“And had issued a set of demands contained in the Ogoni Bill of Rights which included calls to the Nigerian government to clean up the Ogoni environment and restore livelihoods of the indigenous people who had suffered decades of reckless oil extraction by Shell.
“MOSOP had called global attention to the poverty, neglect and environmental destruction which decades of oil exploitation had bequeathed the Ogoni people.
“MOSOP demanded fairer benefits to the Ogoni people from oil, as well as remediation and compensation for the ecological damage caused by the activities of Shell.
“Their selfless mobilization and campaigning led to the 1993 expulsion of Shell from Ogoniland,” the statement read in part.
The CSOs noted that the military government responded to this genuine concern with widespread militarization of Ogoniland and the Niger Delta region, mass killings, arson and the eventual executions that left the world outraged.
According to them, the 9 were murdered after the recommendations of a stage-managed tribunal and denied the opportunity to appeal.
The civil society players noted that the body language and the actions of successive governments in Nigeria have not always indicated the need to reconcile and bring about closure.
They explained that in 2015, a memorial artwork in the form of a bus, designed in memory of the executed Ogoni leaders by friends in the United Kingdom was confiscated by the Nigeria Customs Service.
They noted that appeals to the government to release this memorabilia, including an order by the National Assembly and a judgement by the Federal High Court in Lagos, were denied.
The coalition stated that the bus remains locked up by the Customs Service in Lagos for absolutely no reason beyond provocation.
It will be recalled that on Nov. 11, President Tinubu through his media aide released a statement honouring the memory of Ogoni leaders who were killed in 1995 for leading the fight for ecological justice in Ogoni and the Niger Delta.
The statement quoted Tinubu as saying; “We honour their memory by recognising the sacrifices made and pledging to strive for a future characterised by peace, justice, and sustainable development for all communities, particularly those in the Niger Delta.”
“The subsequent struggles of Ogoni leaders to protect their environment from harmful oil exploration were met with severe repression, culminating in the tragic execution of Ken Saro-Wiwa and eight other leaders in 1995”.
The CSOs said they remain concerned that the Nigerian government continues to make frantic efforts to resume oil extraction activities in the oil wells located in Ogoni territory, after they were shut down in 1993.
They noted that it is worrying that the government will decide to resume oil extraction when the pollution of the last decades is yet to be cleaned, and the recommendations of UNEP are yet to be fully complied with.
“How does one explain the fact that a site supposedly being cleaned up will resume full oil extraction activities with all the pollution that comes with it?
They advised that the government should rather concentrate on remediating the ecological disaster in the area, decommissioning aged oil infrastructure, replacing the lost livelihood of the people and securing justice for the countless Ogonis waiting for closure.
NEWS
Nigeria Condoles India over Tragic Plane Crash

The Federal Government on Thursday condoled the Indian government over the tragic crash of Air India Flight-171 in Ahmedabad.The Minister of Foreign Affairs, Amb. Yusuf Tuggar, disclosed this in a statement issued by Kimiebi Ebienfa, Spokesperson of theMinistry.Tuggar said, “Nigeria expresses profound sorrow and extends its heartfelt condolences to the government and people of India over the tragic crash of Air India Flight 171 in Ahmedabad on June 12, 2025.
“This devastating incident which claimed the lives of over 290 individuals has left the global community in mourning. “Nigeria stands in solidarity with India during this period of immense grief and unfortunate loss.“While initial reports indicate no Nigerian citizen was aboard the flight, the Nigeria High Commission in New Delhi remains in close contact with Indian authorities to verify this information and provide consular assistance where necessary.“In this moment of shared sorrow, Nigeria reaffirms its commitment to global aviation safety and supports the call for thorough investigation into the crash with a view to preventing such tragedies in the future.”The minister further commiserated with the families of the bereaved and all those affected by this tragic incident. (NAN)NEWS
Benue Speaker Advises Youth to Participate Actively in Politics

The Speaker, Benue House of Assembly, Mr Hyacinth Dajoh, has advised youths in the state to participate actively in the economic and political development of the country.Dajoh gave the advice in his Democracy Day message issued by his Press Secretary, Mr Terver Zamber, in Makurdi.
The speaker urged youths to show more interest in the economic and political development of the country. He said that they had the required education, exposure, and numerical strength to make a positive impact on both the economy and governance. Dajoh assured the youths that the assembly under his leadership would continue to enact laws to protect democracy and the rule of law.The speaker urged Nigerians to be more determined in ensuring that democracy worked in the country.He said that democracy remained the best option for the country.The speaker added that through the determination of the citizens and their active participation in the democratic process, Nigeria would be a great country.He saluted the heroic deeds of patriots who worked assiduously to actualise democratic rule in the country, especially the symbol of the June 12 struggle, the late M.K.O. Abiola.According to him, only a truly great, peaceful and prosperous Nigeria could be a befitting compensation for their sacrifices.He commended President Bola Tinubu and Gov. Hyacinth Alia of Benue for their roles in upholding democratic principles.Dajoh said that more sacrifices were required from the citizens to ensure that the country got the best of democracy. (NAN)NEWS
Cross River Communities Resume Hostility with More Casualties

From Ene Asuquo, Calabar
There is another round of hostility arising from communal skirmishes between two brotherly communities of Etono 2 and Biakpan in Biased Local Government Are of Cross River State.The resumption of hostilities happened some days ago when youths from Etono 2 were alleged to have attacked and killed a visitor to Biakpan and another youth whose identity was not immediately known.
Before then there were reports that nearly 50 persons had been killed on both sides. In the latest resurgence, a source said, “Sporadic shootings were heard on Monday and Tuesday inside Biakpan. A few persons have been killed.”State security adviser Southern district, Patrick Odion told our correspondent that he has his men on ground to calm the situation.Recall that about three weeks ago, Commissioner of Police in the state, Olusegun Omosanyin summoned the two sides to his Headquarters in Calabar and cautioned them.The police commissioner had disclosed how there was massive arms buildup by the two communities and said he would launch police action to retrieve the arms from them.He had expressed anger that the two sides had earlier refused to appear before him three times when he summoned them, adding that he had also dispatched his key officers to the two communities.Following the resumption of the hostilities, the police commissioner again met with the leadership of Biase LGA in his office.He assured that he would mobilize his men today to Biakpan and Etono 2 to quell the uprising.When DAILY ASSET spoke with some concerned stakeholders from the two communities they lamented that often when police and soldiers sent to douse tensions would leave, hostilities would resume soon after.A youth leader from Etono 2 who gave his name as Egwu Jerry, lamented, “The presence of the security men usually give us confidence but once they leave, our safety is no longer guaranteed. We’re few compared with those from Biakpan.”He also lamented that they do not have access road elsewhere than the one into Biakpan which reason, their adversaries usually encircle and easily attack and kill them.But a chief from Biakpan who gave his name as Onun Ekpezu alleged that Etono people were too aggressive and violent, and have destroyed their important properties and farms, and have killed their people and visitors.”Because of these, our youths have positioned themselves to defend our women and properties”, Ekpezu said.