Message from Azibaola re: the Ogoni 20

[Steve Kretzmann <steve@moles.org>]

  What follows is a message from Robert Azibaola, lawyer for the Ogoni 20 and
  President of the Niger-Delta Human and Environmental Rescue Organization
  (ND-HERO).  Azibaola's own trial on charges of obstructing justice simply
  for trying to allow journalists to photograph the 20 begins tomorrow
  
  "We want all mankind to demand and question the moral, ethical, political
  and legal grounds (reasons) for our continuous sufferings - for we are now
  as good as dead and at best living and walking corpses - and to demand,
  fight and enforce our freedom." - Message from the Ogoni 20 
  
  WHILE THE WORLD SLEEPS
  THE OGONI 20 SITUATION
  
  On November 10, 1995 the world was greeted with horror.   Ken Saro-Wiwa, a
  famous human and environmental rights activists, renown writer, poet and
  minority rights activist, was together with 8 others of his kinsmen executed
  by the Nigeria's military junta, General Sani Abacha, in defiance to
  international appeals.
  After it, the whole world rose in uproar in total condemnation of the
  executions.  John Major, the then Prime Minister of Britain called it "extra
  judicial murder".
  Not quite 2 years now since the executions, the world seems to have
  forgotten Saro-Wiwa.  And it seems that to most governments and people who
  condemned the executions, it is now "business as usual". Too bad.
  Before Ken Saro-Wiwa was sentenced, the world died; right thinking
  governments and people did not  take concrete measures to save his life.  It
  only rose from slumber after the executions and died again.
  The world has an opportunity now again to save several other persons facing
  the fate of Saro-Wiwa.  They are his kinsmen and associates waiting the
  hangman's noose.  Yet the world is doing nothing.   May be, waiting for
  their executions in order to raise a voice again.
  I am talking of the people who are popularly known as the Ogoni 19 (actually
  now 20) who are facing the same charge, are to be tried by the same Judge(s)
  (or similar Judge(s)), with same evidence and witnesses as those of Ken
  Saro-Wiwa's trial.
  These Ogoni 20 are presently detained at the Port Harcourt Prisons in Port
  Harcourt City of Rivers State, Nigeria. That is the prison Saro-Wiwa was
  hanged.  It is grueling to remember that they leaved through the nightmares
  of the executions of that infamous noonday of Friday November 10, 1995,  one
  cell away from were they are being  detained And are still going through the
  psychological torture of leaving in that confined prison cell.
  Arrested sometime between March, 1994 and July, 1995 the Ogoni 20 are 20
  Ogoni people ( Kinsmen and friends of Ken Saro-Wiwa)  who were rounded up in
  various circumstances after the murder of the Ogoni 4 chiefs.
  They were tortured variously under the most inhuman form by savage  Nigerian
  Soldiers and Police under the Rivers State Internal Security Task Force
  (RISTF) -  the army  of occupation that has occupied their home land for the
  past 3 years.
  Visiting, usually under false pretense , the Ogoni 20 and walking away as I
  have done on several occasions, is  sorrowful especially that they cannot
  actually walk away with you.   People who are prisoners by association and
  conscience, who are desirous of their freedom and liberty but have been
  tortured by the most cruel means and continuously incarcerated for this long
  without trial. Walking away from Sampson Intiginee, first accused and
  Saro-Wiwa's chef, was a psychological torture to me.  Turning round and
  seeing him shade tears  at my departure  was  most painful.  For a while,
  that first of June, I  stood glued onable to help a friend who is in need.
  "I had a big lump in my throat and I couldn't eat for  weeks", Sampson told
  me, "I was admitted at the prison clinic but there was no doctor, no nurse
  nor drugs, and later I was told I needed an operation but it is not possible
  to send me to the hospital", he continued.  The saving grace was that
  Saro-Wiwa's doctor somehow had of it and rushed down and administered to him
  some drugs.
  Sampson would have died like his mate Clement Tusima.  Clement died of what
  doctors call encephalopathy -  meaning brain inflammation -  resulting from
  several bruises he received from his torturers.
  Nyieda Nasikpo had just been released from the dark room the other day. The
  dark room is a prison within  prison, serving as punishment within
  punishment.  In this room, communications within the prisons and other
  inmates is totally severed and the detainee is locked perpetually  with 24
  hours total darkness in a 3x3 feet cell at the pleasure of the authorized
  person. It emits heat  capable of burning the detainee in the day and at
  night, leaving him  uncomfortable as to scream hell.    Screaming generates
  more heat that complicates the discomfort . Many an inmate die as a result
  of the additional heat generated screaming and so are advised to keep quiet
  in the cell. Keeping quiet itself is a problem because the inmate may be
  forgotten and he may die of starvation.  No one else can unlock the gate
  except the detainer and where he is absent the inmate is doomed for it.
  That was the kind of cell Nyieda Nasikpo was lately released. His offence,
  for smuggling sandal  in to prison which he should have won during his next
  trial as it was rumored to him they will soon appear in court.
      
  What is the Nigeria's military junta up to with the Ogoni 20?  It has
  completely disabled the Nigeria's legal system in relation to these 20
  people and without intention to try them. I think  its intent is to continue
  to hold them and use them as negotiation pawns subjecting  them to
  continuous torture and degrading human conditions until they die by their
  installments.  That, is the complete agenda of the regime.
  In the face of the watchful eyes of the international community, the
  Nigerian Government is not willing to put them on trial before the notorious
  tribunal.   And is not also willing to put them before any proper court of
  law(if any in Nigeria) because that will ensue their freedom.
  This agenda is paying off.  At least more than half  of them have almost
  been incapacitated physically now.  It is regrettable to note that Chief
  Babina Visor with whom I had a chat last August can no longer see. He is now
  totally blind.
  And just last March, they wrote to me that a snake bit one of them in
  prison.  But for the local herbs administered to him by his colleagues, he
  would have died. The prison authorities took him to hospital just for 30
  minutes and cramped him back to the cell. 
  Each of them has his own story of woes.  Stories of needles thrust into
  their penis during their interrogations. Of being hanged on the wrist to the
  roof tops and flogged with electric cables.  What more painful interrogation
  was there that was not applied on them?
  For all those who care to listen, the Ogoni 20 sent me to you, a very
  important message   And it is, in their own words, this, "We want all
  mankind to demand and question the moral, ethical, political and legal
  grounds (reasons) for our continuous sufferings - for we are now as good as
  dead and at best living and walking corpses - and to demand, fight and
  enforce our freedom.  If mankind falters we perish."
   " Mr President and honorable  members of this august human and
  environmental rescue group",  meaning I and members of the ND-HERO, " we
  humbly grave your untiring efforts and struggle in this onerous duty and as
  you do this 'those who listen and are moved and care for our plight will
  respond positively'.
  "We hope you will help us and history and providence will reward you and
  your organization accordingly".  Sign Ogoni 20.
  Today I have fulfilled my historic role and is up to you to sit down and do
  nothing or otherwise.
  
  Azibaola Robert
   is the President of the
  Niger Delta Human & Environmental Rescue Organisation(ND-HERO) and
   Defense Counsel, Ogoni 20
  
  
  
  
  __________________
  Steve Kretzmann
  
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  510-705-8983 - fax
  
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