(10 Nov 1995) T/I: 11:23:43 GS 10:49:04
Ken Saro-Wiwa and eight of his fellow Ogoni minority rights
activists were hanged on Friday (10/11), in defiance of
international demands for clemency. Saro-Wiwa, 54, was convicted
of the murder of four men during a May 1994 political rally, but
said he was framed. He was one of dozens of activists jailed by
the regime of military leader General Sani Abacha. Observers were
astonished that the junta would uphold the sentences just as the
Commonweath summit began in Auckland, New Zealand. Anglican
Archbishop Desmond Tutu of South Africa called on the 52-member
Commonwealth to expel Nigeria. Saro-Wiwa had campaigned on behalf
of the 500,000 Ogoni people who live in Nigeria's oil-rich south
and say their land and water are being destroyed by oil industry
pollution. Oil accounts for about 80 percent of Nigeria's export
income, and critics of the industry are often silenced. Shell
International, the oil company against which Saro-Wiwa led his
environmental cause, even pleaded for clemency on his behalf.
SHOWS:
NIGERIA RECENT + FILE
(MUTE):
31/10/95:
0.00 CU Saro-Wiwa appealing for clemency at his trial
0.10 MS judge reading sentence, PAN to Saro-Wiwa
0.20 Saro-Wiwa being hugged by woman after trial
FILE: (NATSOT):
0.24 WS of rally
0.26 Saro-Wiwa exhorting crowd
0.33 WS of Ogani day demonstration
0.41 Demonstrator with placard reading "Save Ogani Environment"
and another saying "Assassins Go Home"
0.45 High shot of demonstrators
0.49 WS of demonstrators
0.53 WS of oil refinery
0.59 Villagers paddling canoe along river
1.04 WS river and oil refinery
1.15 Tilt up from river to gas outlet flame
1.22 ENDS
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