Tinubu Honours Four Late Ogoni Leaders, Pledges Cleanup and Oil Resumption in Ogoniland

President Bola Tinubu on Wednesday posthumously conferred the national honour of Commander of the Order of the Niger (CON) on four late Ogoni leaders — Albert Badey, Edward Kobani, Theophilus Orage, and Samuel Orage — popularly remembered as the “Ogoni Four.”

The President announced the recognition while receiving the report of the Ogoni Consultations Committee at the State House, Abuja. He urged the people of Ogoniland to embrace reconciliation, unity, and healing after decades of division.

“May their memories continue to inspire unity, courage, and purpose among us. I urge the Ogoni people across classes, communities, and generations to close ranks, put this dark chapter behind us, and move forward as a united community,” Tinubu said.

Reaffirming his commitment to the Ogoni cleanup and sustainable development, Tinubu pledged to unlock the region’s human and natural resource potential while safeguarding environmental and economic security. He assured stakeholders of government support in driving peace, environmental remediation, economic revival, and the return of oil exploration to the area.

“The government will deploy every resource to support your people in this march towards shared prosperity,” he added, while directing National Security Adviser Nuhu Ribadu to lead fresh engagements with stakeholders, the NNPCL, and joint venture partners to finalise modalities for resuming oil operations.

The Ogoni consultations committee, chaired by Prof. Don Baridam, reported that extensive dialogue was held across all Ogoni zones, reflecting the people’s collective demand for participation in oil production, renewed environmental cleanup, and a sustainable development framework.

Oil exploration in Ogoniland ceased in 1993 following sustained protests over environmental degradation, with the struggles of leaders like Ken Saro-Wiwa culminating in his execution alongside nine others by the Abacha regime in 1995.