Press Release
For immediate release - July 19, 1993
* Saro-Wiwa Falls Unconscious After Interrogation *
Ken Saro-Wiwa, Ogoni spokesperson, suffered serious heart
problems on Friday, July 16, including two hours of
unconsciousness after being interrogated in prison by police in
Port Harcourt, Nigeria. Medical advise that he be immediately
transferred to an intensive care unit has been ignored by state
authorities.
Mr Saro-Wiwa suffered heart problems, resulting in a fainting
attack at 17.00 on Friday, July 16 after being interrogated by
police officers. A second attack, at 20.00, sent the Movement for
the Survival of Ogoni People (MOSOP) spokesperson into two hours
of unconsciousness during which prison authorities failed to
revive him.
Dr A. A. Ibiama, the Ogoni leader's personal doctor, was urgently
called to the prison. After revival and examination the Doctor
requested an immediate transfer, for Mr Saro-Wiwa, to the
intensive care unit of the University of Port Harcourt Teaching
Hospital. Dr Ibiama has described Mr Saro-Wiwa's condition as
"critical".
After strong advise that Mr Saro-Wiwa be transferred to hospital,
the prison authorities approached Mr Oloyinka Balogun, the
Commissioner of Police, who requested a court order before he
would consider any transfer.
A court order was granted on Saturday July 17 at 13.00 by Justice
Sagbe, of the Rivers State High Court.
Prison authorities then presented the court order to Mr Balogun,
Police Commissioner, on Saturday afternoon at 15.00 who,
according to MOSOP sources, "threw it away after reading it and
ordered the Prison Officer out of his presence. He then said that
he does not have jurisdiction..."
Mr Saro-Wiwa and other MOSOP leaders are imprisoned as a result
of the Ogoni people's non-violent struggle against the
environmental degradation of their homeland by the multinational
oil companies Shell and Chevron in partnership with the Nigerian
Government.
The Ogoni people are a member of the Unrepresented Nations and
Peoples Organization (UNPO). The UNPO is an organization of
nations and peoples that are not adequately represented in
international organizations, such as the United Nations.
FOR MORE INFORMATION : Richard Boele, UNPO International
Secretariat: Javastraat 40a, 2585 AP The Hague, TELEPHONE
+31-70-360 3318, FAX : +31-70-360 3346. E-MAIL :
unponl@antenna.nl [UNPO] MIC/1993/PR.17