Kenule (Ken) Beeson Saro-Wiwa was a Nigerian writer, activist and television presenter born on October 10, 1995 in the family of Ogoni chief Jim Wiwa. Ken Saro-Wiwa was a member of the Ogoni people, a minority tribe in Nigeria. His homeland, the Ogoni Territory in the Niger Delta, has been the target of oil production since 1950 and therefore suffers from environmental damage caused by the dumping of oil waste.
Ken and his lovely children
Ken was also President of MOSOP (Movement for the Survival of the Ogoni People), which waged a non-violent campaign against the environmental destruction of Ogoni land by the oil industry, particularly Royal Dutch Shell. During the non-violent campaign, Ken Saro-Wiwa was arrested and court-martialed for ordering and planning the assassination of some Ogoni leaders during a pro-government meeting.
Saro-Wiwa’s Trial
He was subsequently executed by hanging along with eight other MOSOP leaders on November 10, 1995 by the military dictatorship of General Sani Abacha. This sparked international anger and resulted in Nigeria being expelled from the Commonwealth of Nations for more than three years.
