Group Raises Alarm over Plot to Disrupt Saro-Wiwa’s Memorial

Movement for the Survival of the Ogoni People (MOSOP) has allegedly uncovered a plot to disrupt activities drawn to mark memorial of Saro-wiwa.

The late Saro-Wiwa, a popular writer and Niger Delta environmentalist and other Ogoni activists were executed by a former Nigerian military regime of late General Sanni Abacha on November 10, 1995 despite pleas by the international community, following communal agitations and violent protests led by the activists over mass poverty, neglect of the people of the oil rich ogoni nation by the government, oil spillage by Shell oil company as well as the deplorable state of social infrastructure in the oil rich Niger Delta region.

According to Alex Akori, Secretary General of MOSOP in a statement on September 23 to TheConscience, “credible information available to MOSOP revealed that the group which was allegedly being sponsored by enemies of MOSOP and Ogoni have already recruited hoodlums suspected to include the remnants of recently arrested gangsters to target the leadership of MOSOP, especially the President of MOSOP, Fegalo Nsuke with intentions to harm him, create uncertainty and disrupt the forth-coming annual events to mark the Ogoni Martyrs Day.

“This is coming barely three months after the group held a meeting in Yeghe plotting to kill the president of MOSOP, Fegalo Nsuke.  MOSOP has been reliably informed that the plot to cause harm and breach of the peace is targeted at disrupting the 25th anniversary of the 1995 hangings scheduled to commence on the 8th of November, 2020 and culminate in the procession on the 10th of November, 2020.

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“Part of the group’s strategy is to put out inciting statements and propaganda on social media, lying about false events and running a campaign of calumny against the leadership of MOSOP. A text message from a member of this group noted crises that will be uncontrollable.

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“Funding and support for this group have been linked to Ogoni born residents in Houston Texas, Omaha Nebraska, Memphis Tennessee USA and politicians sympathetic to forceful oil resumption in Ogoni, a move that has been strongly resisted by the current leadership of MOSOP.

“Furthermore, they plan is to use the violence as a ploy to discourage the plethora of visitors and friends of Ken Saro-Wiwa who have shown willingness to participate in the 25th anniversary of the killings,” the statement reads.

The spokesperson added that MOSOP condemned the plots to stop the Ogoni people from mourning their dead just as it condemn current moves by Shell and their collaborators to re-enter Ogoni without the people’s consent.

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Akori said, “We however urge the security agencies to take strong steps to check the activities of hoodlums and gatherings which can cause a breach of the peace anywhere in Ogoni particularly around BMGS Bori, the Khana Council Halls and the State School 1, Bori. We suspect that these miscreants could use the name of MOSOP to shield themselves from being detected and urge the Police and other security agents to check with the secretariat of MOSOP for a confirmation of meetings or contact Adamgbo Sylvanus on 0703–025-6685

“We therefore note and call on the Police to take particular notice of any gatherings in Bori, particularly around BMGS, State School 1 or the Local Government Council where the group members will likely gather to spread false rumors.”