“The Questions I Could Not Answer,” by Adeola Soetan

In Nigeria, opposing multinational oil companies is akin to challenging the government and the ruling elite. On November 10, 1995, Ken Saro-Wiwa and the “Ogoni 9” were executed under dubious circumstances. Justice Akinola Aguda’s article, titled the same, reflects on Nigeria’s justice crisis under Abacha’s regime. He wrote it after attending a global conference, where he faced persistent questions from international colleagues about the lack of accountability and rule of law in Nigeria.

The Ogoni 9, including Saro-Wiwa, were executed after a swift and brutal trial. Abacha’s regime prosecuted them for allegedly inciting mob violence against local leaders, although the charges appeared politically motivated. Ken Saro-Wiwa had led the Ogoni people in protests against Shell Oil’s environmental and economic exploitation. In response, Abacha’s regime cracked down, with officials dismissing the outcry over these executions as a domestic matter. Aguda’s discomfort at the conference highlighted Nigeria’s worsening global reputation, where a lack of basic human rights decorum became evident.

Today, with the recent arrest of underage protestors during the EndBadGovernance movement, many fear that Nigeria is falling into a similar pattern of repression. These minors, some only 13, face harsh conditions in detention, evoking memories of past injustices. This raises pressing questions for Nigeria’s current leaders, who may soon be held accountable on the world stage for their handling of human rights and democratic freedoms.