31 Years Later, Ogoni Families Seek Proper Burial for the Four

Thirty-one years following the brutal killing of four Ogoni elders in Giokoo village, located in the Khana Local Government Area of Rivers S...

Thirty-one years following the brutal killing of four Ogoni elders in Giokoo village, located in the Khana Local Government Area of Rivers State, their relatives have once again urged for the retrieval of the deceased leaders' bodies for respectful burial and long-term peace.

The deceased Ogoni leaders include Chief Edward Kobani, Mr. Albert Badey, Chief Theophilus Orage, and Chief Samuel Orage.

The killing of them in 1994 resulted in the arrest, court proceedings, and eventual hanging of playwright and environmental advocate Ken Saro-Wiwa, along with eight others—referred to as the Ogoni Nine—on November 10, 1995, during the military rule of General Sani Abacha.

At a press conference held in Bodo, within the Gokana LGA, Kenneth Kobani, the son of the late Chief Kobani and former Minister of State for Trade and Industry, referred to the ongoing refusal to acknowledge the truth about the killings as "an insult that has gone too far."

Thirty-one years have passed since my father and three others were violently killed at Giokoo by the Gokana people," he stated. "We had ample justification to pursue vengeance, yet we opted for forgiveness instead of anger because our true strength is found in how we transcend the events that occurred.

Kobani condemned efforts by certain people and organizations to misrepresent historical facts, emphasizing that the killings took place in full view and that the offenders were widely recognized.

"Each year, we are informed that they are honoring the Ogoni Nine as heroes, and some individuals assert that those who killed our fathers did not actually commit the crime. This incident was not concealed; they did not hide their faces. Nevertheless, we opted for peace and forgiveness because we desire progress for Ogoni," he added.

He criticized what he referred to as a "morbid ritual" carried out by people trying to place wreaths at the vacant graves of deceased leaders, labeling it "a disrespect for their legacy."

"Do you want to place wreaths in places where there are no bodies? That's going too far. We buried empty coffins. Our fathers were killed, and their remains were never brought back. How would someone feel about burying an empty coffin?" Kobani asked.

He expressed gratitude to President Bola Tinubu for bestowing posthumous national honors on the Ogoni Four and for his continuous efforts toward peace in Ogoniland, yet criticized the Movement for the Survival of the Ogoni People (MOSOP) for not adhering to the reconciliation agreements reached during the Justice Oputa Panel.

"The Oputa Commission decided that no group should be glorified while another was portrayed negatively. Regrettably, later MOSOP leaders have overlooked these decisions," he stated.

In a statement, the Secretary of the Gokana Unity Forum, Dr. Chris Barigbon, reiterated the demand for the prompt return of the remains of the Ogoni Four to their families.

More than three decades have passed since the brutal killing of Chief E.N. Kobani, A.T. Badey, T.B. Orage, and S.N. Orage," the statement said. "We urge MOSOP to retrieve and return their bodies for respectful burial and offer a public apology to their families.

The gathering praised President Tinubu for his "unyielding commitment to peace and healing in Ogoni," while condemning MOSOP's "departure from the path, absence of compassion, and ongoing refusal to acknowledge the families' suffering."

Such severe neglect, even after death, constitutes a second and third killing of the martyrs," the forum stated, cautioning that efforts to place wreaths at unlocated graves were "insincere and inflammatory.

The Sovereign of Bodo City, HRH King Johnr Berebon, also called for an end to hostilities, emphasizing that genuine reconciliation should start with the "safe return of the remains of our fallen warriors."

"The recovery of their remains for a respectful burial is essential to healing past wounds. This will create an opportunity for reintegration and genuine reconciliation, based on peace, forgiveness, and love," the monarch said.

Berebon, speaking via the Chairman of the Bodo Council of Chiefs and Elders, Chief Polycarp Kornom, called on all Ogoni parties to put aside resentment and promote unity, emphasizing that past events should act as guidance for coming generations.

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