Oil has made some Nigerians rich as kings. But those who live in the oil-rich swampland have remained poor as beggars. Among these are the Ogoni, Ken Saro-Wiwa's tribe. Thousands of miles of oil pipelines weave through the Ogoni's mud-hut villages and crisscross their lands. But electricity is scarce, paved roads few, and there is a shortage of schools and health clinics.
Gas escaping from oil facilities chokes the air.
Ken Saro-Wiwa was the galvanizing force behind it. His critics, including those among the Ogoni, saw him as ambitious and ruthless. Saro-Wiwa rallied the Ogoni onto the streets, where they called for a share of the revenues from the oil taken from their land. They demanded more control over their affairs, and wanted oil spills cleaned up. Their protests were nonviolent, but local police clashed with them nonetheless.