…says but we chose the part of peace
…demand release of remains of four Ogoni Martyrs
…says they deserve dignified burial
…Lauds Tinubu for genuine efforts for peace, dev. of Ogoniland
A former Minister of State for Industry, Kenneth Kobani has alleged that his father, Late Edward Kobani and three others (Ogoni four) were killed by the people of Gokana, their own kingsmen.
Kobani who spoke at an event at Bodo-city, Gokana Local Government Area of Rivers State Monday, to mark 31 years of the brutal killing of the four Leaders insisted that the killers of the men were known and can be identified, adding that the Leaders were murdered in the daylight.
He however assured that the affected families have chosen the part of peace and reconciliation over revenge.
The event was organised by Gokana Unity Forum and other Gokana people. The organisers demanded for the release of remains of the slain chiefs for dignified and proper burial, insisting that the deserve rest.
Recall that four prominent Ogoni chiefs were gruesomely murdered in a mob action in Giokoo community of Gokana Local Government Area of Rivers State, after being labelled ‘Vultures’ at the heat of Ogoni agitation for environmental Justice, 31 years ago.
They are, Edward Kobani Albert Badey, Theopilus Orage, and Samuel Orage.
Their killing led to the arrest, trial, conviction and execution of the then leader of the Movement for the Survival of the Ogoni people (MOSOP), Ken Saro-Wiwa and eight others(Ogoni nine), by the military junta. They were allegedly found culpable in the murder of Ogoni four.
However, the Federal Government (FG), led by President Ahmed Tinubu in June 2025, granted Presidential Pardon on Late Saro-Wiwa and eight others, and Posthumous National Honours Award on the slain four.
This is to foster peace and reconciliation among the people of the area, even as it
is in line with years of MOSOP’s demand to the FG to clear Saro-Wiwa and others’ names from the criminal(murder), insisting that they were innocent of the charges against them.
MOSOP has consistently claimed that Ogoni four were murdered by Soldiers deployed to Ogoniland by Shell Petroleum Development Company(SPDC), at the peak of the peoples agitation for environmental justice in their area.
But addressing the crowd at the event, the former Minister maintained that blaming Shell and Soldiers for the killings are mere cover-up for the mob killers, insisting that they are known persons.
Participants who later took to a peaceful procession to the homes of some of the victims claded in black attire to depict their mournful mood, and displayed placards with various inscriptions . Some of the writeups read, ” only the truth will set us free, MOSOP accept the truth of the murder of Ogoni four’, ‘MOSOP kills her own leaders, the souls of Ogoni four needs rest’, we must give dignified burial to Ogoni four.” among others.
Addressing the people, Kobani said, “Distinguished sons of Bodo city and Bomu, you know this is very uncomfortable for some of us, it’s been 31 years since my father(Edward Kobani), Albert Baddey, Samuel Orage and Theopilus Orage were brutally murdered at Giokoo by Gokana people. I want to emphasize that they were murdered by our own people. This event took place in broad day light so the culprits were identifiable they didn’t cover their faces.”
He reiterated that the affected families genuinely decided to let go of all hurts and take to the side of peace and reconciliation, but disappointed that MOSOP rather than comply with the recommendations of the FG investigative panel of inquiry on the killings chaired by Justice Chukwudifo Oputa (aka Oputa Panel ), have continued to celebrate Ogoni nine priding them as their heroes, while ignoring the other four slain leaders.
They noted that the attitude is contrary to the panel resolutions that were signed by families of Ogoni nine and four, and their Lawyers at the commission.
“Now you ask me how did I feel, or what was my response, you know we had every reason to seek revenge but we chose forgiveness we had every reason to hate people for what they’ve done to us but we felt that to do so will only play into the hands of the evil men who murdered these great men, we chose to leave our bitterness behind and chose forgiveness over anger; this is so because in the end the families of the Ogoni four felt that our real strength did not depend on our anger or pain or sadness but how we rise above what had happened.
“This is the reason we agreed to engage those who we felt we were in opposition to, because we felt that Ogoni needed to move forward.”
Speaking further, Kobani who was also a one time Commissioner in the State regretted that MOSOP ignored the resolutions parties reached and signed to in Oputa Panel and have continued to celebrate the “bravery” of Ogoni nine, year after year.
‘Unfortunately apart from the early period when Ladum Meete was president of MOSOP subsequent MOSOP president and those who have held swayed in MOSOP have forgotten about the Oputa panel and the resolutions that were jointly signed by our families and the families of the Ogoni nine and their lawyers.
“As the result, every year we sit down and they say they were celebrating Ogoni nine and their heroes of Ogoni; we’re even told by some persons that this people didn’t commit the crime.
“The killing of Ogoni four happened in broad day light it wasn’t hidden, they didn’t hide their faces but because we felt that we needed to move on and leave all these behind us so that Ogoni will move forward some of our brothers have continued to live in denial.
“You cannot deny what happened I’m sorry, and to pull the wool over our eyes and make the world believe that nothing happened, that the men just evaporated?, their spirits call for restitution their spirits are asking us to tell those who know where their remains are to please give us their remains.
“Oputa panel clearly said even if Its their skulls, please let them give to us their remains; because we’ve shown enough good faith we’ve made enough sacrifices and humility on Ogoni cause, this has not been reciprocated by the other side, rather what we saw is the marcab and bizarre dance a few days ago when they sent us letters that they want to come and lay reeds
Lay reeds on what tombs?, you want to lay reeds where the remains of these people are not there? That was an insult taken too far. Ordinarily, you all know me I’m a very pragmatic person I can absorb a lot of punishment but this is one step taken too far and they expected us to accept that nonsense? Yes we want peace.
I want to thank President Bola Tinubu for the effort he has made to bring us together, president Obasanjo made the same thing but some people are still playing games with us, denying that what happened didn’t happen at the same time they continue to give people the impression that what happened is not true, we’re human beings we have blood in our veins I want ask every person and everybody watching this, how would you feel if you had to bury an empty casket, how would you feel if you had to bury your loved one and it’s an empty casket.?” he queried with a voice laden with sorrow.
He warned those particularly Lawyers who he said want to use Ogoni to enrich their bank accounts to steer clear and allow the people to heal . Kobani further notes that Ogoni people are gradually coming together to face their common enemies.
“…I hope one day that they will not have to bury empty casket in the name of burying their family member, they don’t have to endure the pains we had endured, that our four fathers were buried with an empty casket…, enough is enough Ogoni should be allowed to heal, we’ve made a lot of progress in coming together, we’ve talked among ourselves and gradually we’re begining to come together but for the nonsense that’s going on, please those who want to use Ogoni to fatten their bank accounts because they’ll say that Ogoni people are their clients leave us alone, Ogoni wants unity, Ogoni wants to be reconciled and Ogoni wants peace and progress we’ve seen enough pain and we don’t want to go somewhere.” he said.
Other demands of the Forum are, that MOSOP should put a motion in place for a process to recover the remains of the slain four Leaders, and also tender unreserved apologies to the families of the slain Ogoni four by MOSOP for the failure of successive MOSOP Leadership to comply with Oputa Panel recommendations on the issues under review, among others.
Speaking through Dr. Chris Barigbon, the Forum said, ‘leadership of MOSOP should close rank with relevant stakeholders and immediately recover and release of the remains of the bodies of Mr. A.T. Badey, CON, Chief E.N. Kobani, CON, Chief T.B. Orage, CON and Chief S.N. Orage, CON to their families for dignified burial;
“MOSOP should render an unreserved public apology to the families of the Ogoni 4 for the Giokoo massacre.
“The above demands are re-echoed following the grandstanding, shenanigans, hypocritical dispositions and theatrical silence of successive and present leadership of MOSOP to breathe life into the letters of the TOR to heal the wounds of the past and give final closure to this matter.”
They called on Tinubu to appeal to MOSOP to comply with the demands in the interest of peace and reconciliation of Ogonis.
“We beacon on the Federal Government of Nigeria to appeal to conscience of MOSOP to accede to the above in the interest peace and for the overall good of Ogoni”.
