The Appeal Court sitting in Port Harcourt, has dismissed an appeal seeking to exonerate late Ogoni activist, Ken Saro-Wiwa, and eight others who were found guilty and sentenced by an Ogoni Civil Disturbance Special Tribunal in 1995.
Justice Cordelia Jombo-Ofo struck out the appeal filed by a human rights group, Conscience of Ogoni People for lack of merit.
Justice Jombo-Ofo said the appellant, Conscience of Ogoni People, did not state their interest and relationship with the deceased persons or the damages or injuries it suffered by their deaths.
The Appeal Court added that the appellant was merely out in the matter to exercise their academic prowess and failed to show the court the dispute between them and the defendant.
Justice Jombo-Ofo, however, stated that the decree that established the defunct Special Tribunal on the Ogoni Civil Disturbance was not properly constituted, adding that the reasoning of the judgement was not consistent.
Reacting to the decision of Appeal Court, the National Coordinator of Conscience of Ogoni People, Gani Topba expressed dissatisfaction with the judgement, adding the he would head to the Supreme Court.
“I have hope in the Supreme Court of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, that it would do justice to this matter because Ken Saro-Wiwa was killed wrongly and that must be corrected because if it is not, it will happen again,” Topba said.
