NIGERIA'S CRIMES TO CONTINUE
The people suffer as Shell goes for the 'business as usual' policy
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According to judicial sources in Port Harcourt a further 19 Ogonis have been
charged with complicity in the killings which resulted in the murder of nine
Ogonis a fortnight ago. If convicted when they appear in January before the
same tribunal which arrived at the previous sentence they also will probably
be murdered by the Nigerian state. The regional military administrator in
Ogoniland, Colonel Dauda Musa Komo, also confirmed that many more people are
expected to be tried and murdered by the Nigerian regime.

Major Obi Abel Umahi - who effectively rules Ogoniland - aims is to
eradicate the memory of those nine who have already been murdered. Public
expression of grief is not allowed. Umahi says: 'Unnecessary sentiment and
emotionalism has been built into this. People who are not well informed are
vulnerable to all this propaganda. It will not do them good to dwell on it'.
Anyone wearing black is beaten up for making a political statement and if
people are found in possession of documents - for example newspapers - which
mention the names of the nine who have already been murdered they are
whipped. Priests have been warned that their sermons are being monitored and
that it is an offence to mention the names of those who have been murdered.
Teachers have received similar warnings.

The regime feels it has successfully crushed the people in the area: 'To the
best of our knowledge there's no Mosop here,' says Umahi, 'They do not
operate any more because people blame them for their problems'.

The Ogonis say otherwise. One person living in the area said, 'We Ogoni are
not happy... They arrest us, beat us, harass us. We cannot say we are for
Mosop anymore or the police attack us'. Apart from the police the Ogoni also
blame other parties: 'Shell is still rich. But what of us?' They say
speaking of the company whose pipelines cover the area. The wealth of the
area seeps out via these pipelines on a daily basis. The people receive
nothing in return.

Based on information from The Guardian 25/11/95

FREEDOM PRESS
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