It was a sad day for the Ogoni struggle as the widows in the case of Esther Kiobel Vs Shell, has lost their civil case against oil giant Shell, which they accused of complicity in the 1995 execution of their husbands by the Nigerian military government.
Esther Kiobel has reportedly spent 27 years seeking justice for her husband Dr Barinem Kiobel, who was hanged along with Ken Saro-Wiwa and eight other men in connection with widespread protests against oil pollution in the Niger Delta.
The court ruled that there was insufficient evidence to prove that Shell was involved in the murder.
Esther Kiobel brought the case against Shell along with three other women, Victoria Bera, Blessing Eawo and Charity Levula, whose husbands were also executed in 1995. The court case was spearheaded by Amnesty International and their research into the historic injustice revealed Shell’s complacency in the brutal and unlawful executions of the women’s husbands, which included the renowned activist Ken Saro-Wiwa.
