President Bola Tinubu has posthumously bestowed the national honours of Commander of the Order of the Niger (CON) on Albert Badey, Edward Kobani, Theophilus Orage and Samuel Orage, collectively remembered as the ‘Ogoni Four’.
Tinubu made the declaration on Wednesday during a meeting with the Ogoni Consultations Committee at the State House in Abuja.
The four men were murdered and burnt in 1994, their deaths forming the basis for the trial of Ken Saro-Wiwa and eight others, later known as the ‘Ogoni Nine’, who were executed the following year under General Sani Abacha’s regime.
“May their memories continue to inspire unity, courage and purpose among us,” Tinubu stated.
He urged reconciliation and harmony among the Ogoni after years of division, calling on the people “to close ranks, put this dark chapter behind us and move forward as a united community with one voice”.
Reaffirming his administration’s commitment to Ogoniland, the president highlighted peace, environmental restoration and economic renewal as top priorities. He also expressed optimism about restarting oil exploration in the region.
“I am encouraged by the overwhelming consensus of the Ogoni communities to welcome the resumption of oil production,” Tinubu said. “The government will deploy every resource to support your people in this march towards shared prosperity.”
He noted the handover of Ogoni oil fields to the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPCL) and its partners in 2022, pledging to build on that progress.
“I have directed the national security adviser, Nuhu Ribadu, to immediately commence engagement between the Ogoni people, NNPCL, its partners, and all relevant stakeholders to finalise modalities for restarting operations,” Tinubu declared.
“A dead asset is not valuable to the community, the country or the people. The longer we procrastinate, the worse it is for everyone.”
Tinubu also instructed the minister of environment to make environmental recovery central to all ongoing dialogue with Ogoni stakeholders.
“Let us together turn pain into purpose, conflict into cooperation, and transform the wealth beneath Ogoni soil into a blessing for the people and for Nigeria,” he said.
National Security Adviser Nuhu Ribadu submitted the consultation report, affirming engagement across all four Ogoni zones with traditional rulers, local communities and the diaspora. He described the process as transformational, aimed at restoring hope and trust in Ogoniland.
Ribadu added that an inter-agency taskforce comprising NNPCL, ministries and the Ogoni Dialogue Committee will implement the recommendations.
Don Baridam, chairman of the dialogue committee, said the report reflected “the collective will of the Ogoni people”, including demands for structured involvement in oil production, environmental cleanup and sustainable development.
The recognition of the Ogoni Four comes three months after Tinubu, on Democracy Day, honoured Ken Saro-Wiwa and the rest of the Ogoni Nine with national awards and a state pardon, nearly 30 years after their execution.
