Post #267

Ogoni Nine [ Cost of Greed ] 🌟 On 10 November 1995, in Port Harcourt, Nigeria, nine environmental activists were hanged: Ken Saro-Wiwa, Barinem Kiobel, Baribor Bera, Saturday Doobee, Nordu Eawo, Daniel Gbokoo, Paul Levura, Felix Nuate, and John Kpuinen. How did it happen that the state executed not terrorists or even opposition politicians, but environmental defenders? And what did it have to do with oil major Shell? ➡️ Shell had been operating in Nigeria since 1938 and had developed strong ties with local elites. In 1993, protests erupted in Ogoniland, in the Niger Delta, over endless oil spills and the exploitation of the country’s natural resources. In response, Shell approached government officials, asking them to protect its assets. ➡️ The main obstacle for Shell was the activist movement MOSOP. ➡️ To get rid of it, in 1994 the authorities accused its leaders of murdering four traditional chiefs. Who was actually behind their deaths — and whether it may have been a provocation — remains unknown to this day. ➡️ Nevertheless, the government extracted the “necessary” confessions, with Shell standing behind the entire process. In 1995, Brian Anderson, Shell’s head in Nigeria, received multiple assurances from the authorities that the activists “would certainly be found guilty,” and noted in internal memos that the company “must prepare for a sentence.” Although the Ogoni Nine were formally tried for the killings of the four chiefs, their real “crime” was that they organized a peaceful campaign against the destructive consequences of Shell’s oil operations in Ogoniland. #CostOfGreed Devils Below