III 

109TH CONGRESS 

1ST SESSION S. RES. 303 

Calling for the Government of Nigeria to conduct a thorough judicial review 

of the Ken Saro-Wiwa case, and for other purposes. 

IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES 

NOVEMBER 10, 2005 

Mr. LEAHY (for himself, Mr. KENNEDY, Mr. OBAMA, Mr. FEINGOLD, Mr. 

DODD, and Mr. DURBIN) submitted the following resolution; which was 

referred to the Committee on Foreign Relations 

RESOLUTION 

Calling for the Government of Nigeria to conduct a thorough 

judicial review of the Ken Saro-Wiwa case, and for other 

purposes. 

Whereas on November 10, 1995, Ken Saro-Wiwa, Nigerian 

writer, environmental activist, and nominee for the Nobel 

Peace Prize, along with 8 colleagues, together known as 

the ‘‘Ogoni 9’’, were hanged by the military government 

of Nigeria, based on charges widely regarded as false; 

Whereas the Ogoni 9 had been nonviolently campaigning for 

improved living standards and a clean environment for 

the Ogoni People, whose Niger Delta land, air, and water 

was, and remains, severely polluted from oil extraction, 

and whose standard of living, despite the great mineral 
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•SRES 303 IS

wealth their land has yielded since the early 1960s, is 

among the lowest in the world; 

Whereas the international condemnation that followed the 

executions included the suspension of Nigeria from the 

British Commonwealth of Nations; 

Whereas in 1996 a United Nations mission to Nigeria found 

the military tribunal in contravention of international and 

domestic law, and recommended financial relief for the 

survivors of the Ogoni 9 and improvements in the socioeconomic conditions of the Ogoni and other minorities in 

the Delta; 

Whereas 10 years later, none of the United Nations recommendations have been implemented, and the environmental and social situations have deteriorated for the 

Ogoni and other Delta communities; 

Whereas the Ogoni 9 remain convicted of a crime of which 

they were unfairly tried; 

Whereas Ogoniland remains severely polluted and gas flaring 

continues unabated; 

Whereas the security and stability in the Niger Delta are 

threatened by a proliferation of small arms, armed gangs, 

and black market oil bunkering; 

Whereas despite these pressures, Ogoniland remains an island of nonviolence, and the Ogoni voted in high numbers 

in the 1999 elections; 

Whereas stability in the Niger Delta is necessary to prevent 

an increase in global oil costs; and 

Whereas in the interest of the protection of human rights, 

justice, and stability in the Delta, redress should be given 
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•SRES 303 IS

to the Ogonis and their use of nonviolent means should 

be recognized: Now, therefore, be it 

1 Resolved, That the Senate— 

2 (1) urges the Government of Nigeria to conduct 

3 a thorough judicial review of the trial of the Ogoni 

4 9 and to provide just compensation to the survivors 

5 of the Ogoni 9 if a miscarriage of justice is found; 

6 (2) urges the Government of Nigeria, inter7 national donors, and international oil companies op8 erating in the Delta to increase assistance signifi9 cantly to improve the lives of the Ogoni and other 

10 affected communities and for pollution abatement 

11 and cleanup in the Niger Delta region, in close con12 sultation with local communities; 

13 (3) urges the Government of Nigeria to ensure 

14 that all members of the security forces receive train15 ing in international standards on the use of force 

16 and firearms, particularly the 1979 United Nations 

17 Code of Conduct for Law Enforcement Officials and 

18 the 1990 United Nations Basic Principles on the 

19 Use of Force and Fire Arms by Law Enforcement 

20 Officials; 

21 (4) calls upon the Department of State to seek 

22 urgently to ensure that American oil companies op23 erating in the Niger Delta comply, at a minimum, 
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•SRES 303 IS

1 with the Voluntary Principles for Security and 

2 Human Rights; and 

3 (5) urges the Secretary General of the United 

4 Nations to institute a 10-year followup mission to 

5 Ogoniland. 

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