Justice Eludes Ogoni Without Truth: Pidomson Calls for Reckoning over 1994 Killings

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Justice Eludes Ogoni Without Truth: Pidomson Calls for Reckoning over 1994 Killings


By John Ollor Obe


A former Secretary to the Rivers State Government and respected academic, Dr. Gabriel Pidomson, has called for justice, truth, and reconciliation in Ogoniland, warning that genuine progress for the Ogoni people will remain out of reach unless the region confronts the legacy of the 1994 killings of four prominent Ogoni chiefs.



In a statement that has stirred renewed attention to the unresolved tensions within the Ogoni crisis, Dr. Pidomson described the murder of Chiefs Edward Kobani, Albert Badey, Samuel Orage, and Theophilus Orage as a “grievous injustice” that must not be forgotten or excused.

> “The blood of the Ogoni 4 cries out for justice,” Pidomson declared. “Until we openly condemn and acknowledge the wrongs done to these great men, true progress and healing will remain elusive.”

The four chiefs, often referred to as the Ogoni 4, were murdered in May 1994 during internal strife within the Movement for the Survival of the Ogoni People (MOSOP), a grassroots group founded to campaign against environmental degradation and political marginalization in the oil-rich Niger Delta. Their deaths were blamed on a youth mob allegedly incited by elements within MOSOP—a claim that remains disputed.

The killings set the stage for the military regime of General Sani Abacha to arrest and prosecute Ken Saro-Wiwa and eight other Ogoni leaders—later known as the Ogoni 9—who were controversially convicted and executed in 1995, sparking international outrage and Nigeria’s suspension from the Commonwealth.

Dr. Pidomson emphasized that Chiefs Kobani, Badey, and the Orage brothers were themselves leading voices in the Ogoni struggle and should be recognized as martyrs whose deaths deepened a tragic chapter in Nigeria’s human rights history.

His comments come on the heels of recent symbolic gestures by President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, including national honors and posthumous recognition granted to Ken Saro-Wiwa and other Ogoni 9 members. While widely applauded, the gesture has also reignited unresolved debates within Ogoni communities over the crisis's roots and the divisions it left behind.

“To dismiss or support the wrongdoers is to dishonour their sacrifices,” Pidomson said, warning against revisionist narratives that excuse violence under the guise of activism. “You cannot kill your own best striker and expect a ‘win goal’ — justice and peace come from truth and acknowledgment.”

He urged the Ogoni people to confront their painful history with “honesty and integrity,” and reject all forms of glorification of impunity.

Dr. Pidomson’s remarks highlight the enduring complexity of the Ogoni question, 30 years after the crisis that brought international focus to Nigeria’s oil politics. For many, the call to address internal wrongs is the next crucial step in the path toward collective healing and national reconciliation.

John Ollor Obe 

Eleme Today 

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