BEVERLY HILLS, January 27, (THEWILL) – The Federal High Court in Port Harcourt has refused to quash the judgment of tribunal and eventual execution of environmental rights activist and Ogoni Leader, Ken Saro Wiwa, in November 1995.
According to Justice Lima Abdullahi, in his judgement, on Friday, in the application filed by Ken Saro Wiwa Associates in Port Harcourt, the Decree that established the Special Tribunal on Civil Disturbances, including that of Ogoni, did not make provision for appeal.
He ruled that those sentenced to death or long term imprisonment by the tribunal had no provision for appeal against such judgment as he stuck out the application.
Justice Abdullahi also noted that the applicant, Ken Saro Wiwa Associates, did not state its interest, the relationship with the deceased persons or its interest and injuries suffered by the execution of the nine persons.
He said the applicant’s lawyer only attached a certified copy of the tribunal’s judgment without other documents relating to applicant’s relationship, adding that the counsel did not also attach the record of the tribunal’s proceeding.
NAN reports that Golden Awi, Counsel to the applicant, had argued that the tribunal was not properly constituted, saying it had three instead of five members as required by the 1999 Constitution.
He later told reporters that the applicants did not ask for compensation, rather the group wanted the tribunal’s judgment to be quashed adding that the group was heading for the Supreme Court as it wants the judgment to be reviewed.
THEWILL recalls that a three-man Ogoni Civil Disturbances Special Tribunal found Wiwa and eight others guilty of murder and sentenced to death.
Wiwa and the eight others were hanged in November 1995 under the military administration of late Sani Abacha.
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