President Bola Tinubu has posthumously conferred the national honour of Commander of the Order of the Niger (CON) on Albert Badey, Edward Kobani, Theophilus Orage, and Samuel Orage — collectively known as the Ogoni Four.
The president made the announcement on Wednesday during a meeting with the Ogoni Consultations Committee at the State House, Abuja.
The four men were killed in 1994, an incident that became the prelude to the trial and execution of Ken Saro-Wiwa and eight others, known as the Ogoni Nine, under the regime of General Sani Abacha.
“May their memories continue to inspire unity, courage and purpose among us,” Tinubu said.
He used the occasion to urge reconciliation and unity among the Ogoni people after decades of social and political divisions, pledging his administration’s commitment to peace, environmental recovery, and economic revival in the region.
Tinubu also expressed optimism about the resumption of oil exploration in Ogoniland, assuring that government resources would be mobilised to ensure shared prosperity.
“I am encouraged by the overwhelming consensus of the Ogoni communities to welcome the resumption of oil production. A dead asset is not valuable to the community, the country or the people,” he said.
The president directed National Security Adviser Nuhu Ribadu to lead fresh engagements between the Ogoni people, the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPCL), its partners, and other stakeholders to finalise modalities for restarting operations. He further instructed the environment minister to integrate pollution remediation and environmental recovery into the ongoing dialogue.
Ribadu, who presented the committee’s report, described the consultations as transformational and a step toward rebuilding hope and trust in Ogoniland.
Don Baridam, chairman of the Ogoni Dialogue Committee, added that the report reflects the collective will of the people, including demands for structured participation in oil production, environmental cleanup, and sustainable development.
This latest honour follows Tinubu’s Democracy Day gesture three months ago, when he conferred national awards and granted a state pardon to Saro-Wiwa and the other members of the Ogoni Nine, nearly three decades after their execution.